Drow
by The Wanlorn
Summary: Chapter Eight Up! Ummmm. Jeez, I hate summaries. It's got Drizzt and Catti-brie and Liriel and Fyodor in it. Umm, Catti-brie and Drizzt admit their love for eachother (my fave topic). It's good, trust me.
1. Chapter One

**Drow**

(A/N: This is a warning.  It's 10:19PM, and I've been sitting at the computer since 3:30 reading Tamora Pierce fanfics.  My brain is totally fried, so I just switched to the laptop (which, BTW, has so many bad sectors and is so old that it's amazing it still works) to write some Drizzt fanfics and try to de-fry my brain.  I'm freezing to death cuz my stoopid room is so drafty and my stoopid family is asleep so I can't turn up the stoopid heat.  In fact, the only source of warmth in this whole stoopid house is my laptop, which is keeping my lap warm.  At least it's good for something, LOL.  Hmmm.  I hope I remember to delete this before sending it wherever I send these things to.  So, I have no clue what this is going to be about.  Enough with my psychotic, incoherent ramblings.  On with the horrible story.)

**Chapter One**

            The people of Rashemen gathered at the port to say farewell to Fyodor, the berserker warrior, and the Raven, better known as Liriel Baenre.  The two were leaving Rashemen for the freezing  northlands.  (A/N: I have no clue where Rashemen is, so if it IS in the northlands, someone tell me.  In fact, someone tell me where it is, period.)  Fyodor's friend had recently traveled there, and sent back word of trouble.  The people would miss them, having come to finally accept the drow.  But, that couldn't be helped.  The pair set sail into the morning sun.

*********

            "Get off me, ye durned cat!" Bruenor yelled at Guenhwyvar.  The surly dwarf had just received the rude awakening of 600lbs of black fur landing on top of him.  "Drizzt!" he bellowed.  "Get yer durned cat off'n me!"

            "What did you do to offend her?"  The black elf's melodious tones came back to him.

            "Nuthin'!  An' ye know it!"

            "Are you so sure of that?"

            "O' course I didn't!"

            "Think back, now.  Are you sure you can't think of anything?"

            Bruenor struggled futilely to get out from under the cat.  "No I can't!"

            "Nothing you might have said?"  Drizzt came in to watch the spectacle.  "Think hard."

            "I never said…yer kiddin'," Bruenor growled.  He told Drizzt a few days ago that if he sent the 'durned cat' to sleep on him once more, he would chop both of them into mincemeat.

            "Just seeing if you would make good on your promise."

            "What's going on in here?"  Catti-brie walked in sleepily.  "Yer makin' enough noise to raise-" she stopped in mid-sentence and burst out laughing.  "What'd he say this time, Drizzt?"

            "He told me that if I made Guen sleep on him once more," Drizzt answered, "he'd make mincemeat out of both of us.  We were just seeing if he would make good the threat."

            "Let me up!"  Guenhwyvar lazily got off Bruenor and the bed.  The sleek black shadow glided over to sit between Drizzt and Catti-brie.  "Durned cat."  The spluttering dwarf got out of his bed, and started searching his room.  "Ye jes' what 'till I find me ax, elf," he muttered.

            Drizzt ran lightly out of the room, with Guenhwyvar at his heels.  "See you later," he called over his shoulder.  "I have a feeling this is the time to leave."  All of them knew that Bruenor wouldn't really try to carve up his best friend, but Drizzt had other things to do, anyway.

*********

            "And just why did we come to this gods-forsaken place?" Liriel grumbled to Fyodor for the millionth time.  The beautiful drow was buried deep inside her cloak, utterly miserable.  The only thing that could be seen of her was a few wisps of white hair.

            The two friends were riding down a deserted road.  The wind that gave Icewind Dale its name blew fiercely around them.

            "If I get out of this place alive, I'm headed straight for Calimport."

            "And why would you be dying up here?" Fyodor asked her.  The handsome barbarian was puzzled.  It wasn't that dangerous, yet.

            "Hypothermia!" she said, deadly serious.   "What do you think?"

            "Ah," Fyodor tried to keep a straight face, but was loosing the battle.   "How stupid of me not to have thought of that."

            "Hmph.  Figures.  You have naught a care in the world but for yourself."  Fyodor knew enough to ignore that statement.  He realized that Liriel was miserable in the chill winds that blew incessantly over the area.  He would have to do something to makeup for bringing her there, although she came along of her own free will.  "Are we going to cut across the Dale and head straight for the mountains?" she asked him.

            "That's what I thought to do, but if you would prefer to stop in Ten Towns and get warm, that's fine with me."

            "No," she sighed.  "That would just make coming back out here harder than ever.  Plus, the likelihood of them actually letting me in…."

            "Aye, your right little raven.  Tell me when you want to stop and make a fire."

            "Don't worry, I will."  They laughed and continued riding, heading for the distance peak of Kelvin's Cairn.

*********

            "Race ye to the mountain!" Catti-brie yelled to Drizzt, sprinting away.  It was a fine day, so the two of them and Guenhwyvar were out enjoying what was probably the last nice fall day.  The snows would soon be coming, and they would be stuck inside.  Plus, Bruenor was still pretending to be miffed at Drizzt for that morning's incident.

            Catti-brie had gotten a head start, but Drizzt's longer legs let him catch up easily.  Catti-brie stopped, and whispered something to Guenhwyvar, who was pacing them.  Guen immediately jumped on Drizzt, pushing him to the ground.

            "That's not fair!" he yelled to Catti-brie's back.

            "Who said I would play fair?"  Her voice drifted back to him.

            Guenhwyvar let Drizzt up when Catti-brie was far enough ahead.  "Figures you'd listen to her and not me, girl.  Feminine bonding," he said exasperatedly.  He'd have to run fast to beat Catti-brie, but he was determined to do it.  Guen let him get just ahead of Catti-brie, and then jumped in front of him.  He tried to dodge, but she blocked his way.  He tried to leap over her, but she jumped right back in front of him.  Catti-brie gained the lead again.  Drizzt didn't mind, it was a fun game, one they played often.  Guen kept letting him get almost ahead of Catti-brie, and then playfully driving him back.  Catti-brie obviously won the race, Drizzt arriving a few seconds later, panting.  Both flopped on the ground at the base of the Cairn to rest.

            "Good race," Catti-brie told Drizzt, "but yer slippin'."

            "What do you mean?  If Guen wasn't here…"

            Catti-brie broke in.  "I haven't touched the rock yet!"  A rock a few feet above the base of Kelvin's Cairn was their standard finish line.  Catti-brie jumped up, and dashed over to touch the rock before Drizzt could react.  "I still win!"

            Drizzt flopped back down.  "I'm too tired to argue."

            "C'mon, ye lazy elf.  Let's get to the top, and then rest."

            "You're going to be the death of me, Catti-brie."

            The two started to walk up the slope.  Catti-brie went ahead to look at some late flowers.  She stopped short at the edge of a crevice.  "Drizzt," she called softly.  "C'mere.  An' be quiet."

            Drizzt walked up behind her, and looked into the crevice.  He saw a drow and a human riding along, bickering.  He couldn't make out the words.

            "Fight?" Catti-brie asked.

            "No," Drizzt answered.  "Let's leave."  

Before they could do so, the human looked up and saw them.  He pointed and shouted "Drow!"  The drow female on the horse next to him looked up and sent a burst of magical energy at Drizzt and Catti-brie.  They rolled out of the way just in time.

"Looks like it's fight," Catti-brie quipped.

*********

            Liriel and Fyodor were totally lost.  They had started up the mountain all right, but then had somehow ended up in the crevice.  Neither had any clue how to get out.

            "This is all your fault," Liriel grumbled.  "If your friend had given us better directions…."

            "Wait now," Fyodor countered.  "How does that make it my fault if it was my friend's directions?"  He was willing to take her anger, but only if she could back it up.

            "The fact that he was _your friend.  Not mine, yours."_

            Fyodor wasn't paying attention anymore.  He had looked up and seen a drow peering down at them.  "Drow!" he yelled to get Liriel's attention and pointed.  Liriel automatically sent off a burst of magic to stun whatever he was pointing at, before realizing it would do little good if the thing really was a drow.

            She levitated up, so she could see what it was.  "Why didn't I do this sooner to see how to get out of the dumb ravine?" she muttered to herself.  She called back down to Fyodor to give him directions out.  "There's a path a few feet down, Fyodor.  Try to climb up there."

*********

            The drow levitated to above the lip of the crevice.  She gave her companion directions to get out, and then turned her attention to Drizzt and Catti-brie.  Catti-brie loosed an arrow from Taumaril, but it hit a magical protective shield.

            "Who sent you?!" Drizzt yelled.  "Drop your shield and come fight!"

            The human reached the lip of the ravine and scrambled out to join the fight.  He looked like a barbarian, but he had dark hair and dark eyes.  He certainly wasn't a barbarian of the northlands.  He seemed to grow before Drizzt and Catti-brie's eyes.  "Berserker," Drizzt whispered.

             "What?" Catti-brie turned to him curiously.

            "I don't really know.  They're warriors. Good warriors, with some sort of magic fighting ability."

            "I'll see jes' how good he really is."  Catti-brie grinned and sprinted off to engage the berserker in combat before Drizzt could try to stop her.

            "What do you mean, 'who sent you'?"  The beautiful drow queried - and Drizzt had to admit, she was beautiful.  "The real question is who sent _you."  She dropped to the ground.  "Let's go - magic against sword"  Without further ado, she dropped her shield and attacked.  Bursts of bright magical fire flew from her finger-tips._

            Drizzt attacked with a fury.  He was sure she had come to kill him, and gain glory in the eyes of Lloth.  The thought that his friends may once again suffer because of his heritage pained him.  He would not let that happen.  Drizzt and the drow were evenly matched - her magic against his scimitars.  Guenhwyvar tried to jump on the other drow from behind, but she blasted the black panther back to the Astral Plane.  Drizzt risked a glance over at Catti-brie and the other human - Fyodor, Drizzt remembered the drow calling him.  He saw that, even in a berserker rage, Fyodor was not as good a fighter as Catti-brie, but his size almost made it an even fight. Close enough to give Catti-brie a run for her money.  Apparently, the other drow noticed this, too.

            "Run Fyodor," she called.  "I can handle both of them.  She's better than you, she fights like a drow."  Drizzt was glad have someone else confirm, even an enemy, that his teachings had paid off.

            "Never would I leave you, little Raven," he called back.  "You should know that by know, Liriel."

            _Ah, Drizzt thought.  __She is __a Baenre.  Figures, although why she seems to care so much for this human, I know not._

_            "You foolish human!" she cried.  "Go!  I'll be fine."  Drizzt scored a minor hit, since she was distracted talking to Fyodor._

            "No."__

The two fights continued, both locked in a stalemate.  Drizzt weaved and twisted, avoiding Liriel's magic.  She did the same, avoiding his flashing scimitars.  They ducked, rolled, and weaved in a complicated dance.  Liriel sported a few cuts, and Drizzt, likewise, sported a few burns.  Both kept one eye on the other fight.  Drizzt saw, that although Fyodor was covered with cuts, Catti-brie was tiring and he was not.  Now it was Drizzt's turn to try and convince one of the humans to leave.

"Catti-brie!  Get out of here!" he called to her, barely avoiding a burst of fire.

"Ha!  And let ye have all the fun?  I think not.  And if ye think I'm jes' gonna abandon ye, ye have another think comin'."

Drizzt's heart warmed at his friend's loyalty.  In Menzoberranzan, his companion would have been long gone.  "Damn it, Catti-brie!  Go!"

"And what?  Leave ye two against one?  I think not, Drizzt Do'Urden, jes' as ye wouldn't abandon me, I'm not abandoning ye.  Damn it, I love ye!"

"Wonderful time to tell me that," he said sarcastically, but he felt elated that she'd actually said it.   "As much as I'm glad to hear it, it's pointless getting us both killed.  Go!"

"No!  By the gods, elf.  How many times do I have to tell ye that to get it through yer thick skull?"

"Drizzt Do'Urden?"  Liriel intervened, pausing in her attack.  "Traitor to Lloth?"

"Oh," he replied sarcastically, also pausing, against his better judgment, "I suppose you didn't come up here to capture me and sacrifice me and gain glory in the eyes of Lloth?"

Fyodor burst out laughing.  "Far from it!  Can we call a truce and sort this all out?"

"Aye," Catti-brie answered, panting.  "That would be a good thing.  What do the two o' ye say?"  She was quite willing to stop fighting the seemingly tireless man.  He kept shrinking and talking, and then growing again.  It was very annoying.  "And will ye decide on one size and stick with it?" she said to him.

"Truce?"  Drizzt questioned.  He was tired, too.

"Truce," Liriel agreed, grudgingly.  She did not like the lavender-eyed drow.  He wasn't a proper drow; everyone in Menzoberranzan knew that.  Although, she supposed she wasn't a "proper drow" anymore, either.

"Favor of Lloth," Fyodor was still muttering under his breath and shaking his head.

"And what is so funny about that?" Drizzt demanded, still on his guard.  "That's what every other drow I've seen has tried to do."

"I forsook Lloth in the middle of a battle a few years ago," Liriel explained.  "I don't think even a sacrifice of _you would put me back in her favor."_

"Then why're ye up here?" Catti-brie interjected, moving to stand beside Drizzt.

"My friend needed help," Fyodor explained.  He limped over to stand protectively beside Liriel.  It was a humorous sight, the tall human next to the short drow.  "Wouldn't explain with what, though…completely unlike him," he mused to himself.

"And why should we believe ye?" Catti-brie asked.  Drizzt agreed wholeheartedly with her.

"No reason to," Liriel said.  "Let's go, Fyodor."

"In the future, stay away from me and my friends and my home," Drizzt said venomously.  He didn't trust the two of them, and was letting them go against his better judgment.  Even if Liriel seemed to be sort of like him, in that she was on the surface, with a human friend.  Not much of a similarity.

Liriel and Fyodor continued up Kelvin's Cairn, to try and find his friend.  Drizzt and Catti-brie watched them go, both torn up from the battle.  Although, they didn't look too better, themselves.

"They gave up on that fight much too easily," Drizzt mused.  "Did you see how relaxed the human, Fyodor, seemed?  Strange…."

"Aye, I did," Catti-brie responded.  "Let's stay here and rest a bit, before going back down."

"Good idea."  The sat in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.  Drizzt mulled over what Catti-brie had said during the fight, trying to decide whether to ask her about it or not.  His curiosity - and hope - won out. 

"Did you mean what you said?" Drizzt asked Catti-brie, hardly daring to hope.

"What?"

"That you…" he paused, almost afraid to say it.

"That I love ye?  Aye, I meant it.  I guess I finally admitted it to meself."  She smiled tentatively, suddenly afraid that he didn't feel the same way any more.

Drizzt smiled back and leaned over to kiss her.  "This is probably the best day of my life," he said quietly.

 Catti-brie heard, and laughed.  "Even after getting yer butt half kicked by that durned drow?"

"Yes, those three little words make up for it all.  I love you, too, Catti-brie."

She smiled, and realized that he was right.  Those three short words did really make up for everything.  She realized what a fool she'd been, trying to deny her love for all those years.  They kissed again, more passionately.

"We really should head back for the caves," Drizzt said.

"Always the voice o' reason," Catti-brie muttered.  "I'm gonna have to break ye o' that habit."

Drizzt laughed.  "Bruenor's going to be worried.  We'd said we'd be back a long time ago, remember?"

"Yeah, I suppose.  Let's go."

They turned around and headed back down Kelvin's Cairn, hand in hand.


	2. Chapter Two

(A/N: This was written at the same time as the last chapter.  I was just too damn lazy to edit it and post it yesterday.  So, it'll be just as bad, if not worse.)

**Chapter Two**

            "Where are they?"  Bruenor stalked back and forth across the room.  Regis tried to calm him down.

            "I'm sure they just got held up by something," he told Bruenor.  "Or maybe they finally admitted their feelings for each other…." That comment stopped Bruenor short, and Regis had to jump back to avoid a swift kick from him.

            "Hrmph.  They should o' been here hours ago, an' ye know it.  If they're not here in the next five minutes, I'm goin' out to look.

            "You worry too much," Regis said, although he was getting worried, too.  "They're probably fine, and probably trying to come up with a valid excuse for being so late."

*********

            That was, in fact, what the two were up to at the moment.  The caves had just come into sight.

            "We need a good excuse fer why we're hurt, Drizzt."

            "I know," he replied.  "What do you think?"

            "I don't know.  Bruenor'll flip if he knows the truth, but…let's try it anyways.  They need to be warned, jes' in case."

            "I agree.  I don't trust them, do you?"

            "No."  Catti-brie grimaced as she walked.  "These are going to hurt, come tomorrow."

            "Oh?"  Drizzt said.  "And you're going to tell me your whole body doesn't hurt right now?  Mine sure does."

            "OK," she replied with a grin, "hurt worse."  She sighed.  "Do ye think we should tell him?"

            Drizzt knew exactly what she was talking about.  He wasn't sure how Bruenor would take the news that they had finally declared their love for each other.  He was so overprotective of Catti-brie!  "I don't know.  You've known him longer than I.  What do you think he'll say?"

            "I honestly couldn't tell ye.  Let's keep it a secret, for a few days."

            Drizzt agreed with her.  They reached the caves, and went in to find Bruenor.

*********

            "Where in the Nine Hells have ye been?!?!"  The first thing Drizzt and Catti-brie encountered was a very irate dwarf.  "Ye were supposed t'be back hours ago.  An' what happened to ye?  Gettin' into more trouble, I suppose."

            Drizzt and Catti-brie told him the story, leaving out a few select parts.

            "A drow and a human wanderin' round the mountains together," Bruenor said.  "That's strange."  Drizzt and Catti-brie looked at each other, trying to hide snickers.  "What?" Bruenor asked grumpily.  He realized what they were laughing about.  "Well, yer different," he said to Drizzt.  "Cuz…yer jes' different."  He went off into another tirade about how they should be more careful and they could have been killed.

            "I'm not a little girl anymore," Catti-brie gently reminded the overprotective dwarf.  "Me and Drizzt can take care of ourselves."  Drizzt was wisely staying out of the conversation.

            "Aye, yer right, but still!  I'm sure that fight could o' been avoided, and ye could o' come back an' warned us."

            "They did try to avoid it," Regis reminded Bruenor.  "It was just Tymora's luck."

            "Sure," Bruenor harrumphed.  "Jes' be careful."

            Drizzt and Catti-brie knew that the whole tirade was brought on by the fact Bruenor couldn't stand to lose either of them, especially his little girl.

            "I'm going to get cleaned up," Drizzt said.

            "Me too," Catti-brie agreed.  "I probably look awful."

            The two left the room.  Regis noticed that as they were going out the door, Catti-brie glanced back at Bruenor, who was facing the other way, and slipped her hand into Drizzt's.  He snuck out to follow them, leaving Bruenor to his grumbling.

*********

            "That went amazingly well," Catti-brie told Drizzt as they walked down the long hall.  "I figured he would have yelled longer."

            "He was just glad to see us - you - safe," Drizzt replied.  "He sure didn't pay much attention to the news of the drow."

            "It's probably sinking in right about now," Catti-brie laughed.

            Neither noticed the small black shadow behind them.  Regis' time serving Pasha Pook had been time well spent for the spying he was doing.

            They reached the door to Catti-brie's room.  "I'll see ye later," she told Drizzt and kissed him.

            "Yeah," Drizzt said when they broke apart.  He headed down the hall to his own room.  Regis caught him just before he went in the door.

            "And why are you hiding that from me and Bruenor?" he bluntly asked the elf.

            Drizzt wasn't too surprised to see Regis.  He had known someone was following them, and was pretty sure it was the sneaky halfling.  "Not you, just Bruenor.  Neither of us are sure just how he'll react."

            "Took the two of you long enough.  And that's probably exactly what he'll say.  Have faith in your friend, and Catti-brie's father.  He'll be glad."

            "Yeah, you're probably right.  Excuse me, while I go wash."  Drizzt slipped into his room before Regis could say anything else and closed his door.  Regis went back down the hall.

*********

            Regis came happily back into the room Bruenor was in.  The dwarf hadn't even noticed the halfling was gone.  Regis was pleased for his friends.  He had seen the way they looked at each other when they thought no one else was watching.

            "An' jes' what are ye looking so pleased about?" the surly dwarf grumbled.

            "Oh, nothing.  Something for me to know and you to find out."

            "It ain't nice to keep secrets, Rumblebelly."

            Regis laughed, "Too bad for you."  He moved just in time to avoid a kick from the dwarf.  "You really need to learn to control that temper of yours."

            Regis hightailed it out of there before Bruenor could come after him.

*********

            Drizzt met Catti-brie outside of her door in the morning with a bottle of soothing lotion in his hands.  He was about to knock when she opened the door and slammed him in the face.

            "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.  "Are ye okay?"

            "Sure," he told her with a grin.  "I don't think my nose is too badly broken.  Here's some of that stuff you were undoubtedly coming to get."

            Catti-brie grinned.  "Ye know me all to well.  C'mon in and have a seat."

            She went into her bathroom and started putting the lotion on all of her many cuts and bruises.  She came out with the bottle in her hand.

            "I can't get my back," she told him, "will ye do it fer me?"

            "Sure."  She pulled the back of her shirt up, and Drizzt's gentle hands worked the lotion in.

            "That feels good," she sighed.  "I swear, ye got magic hands, elf."

            "I wish my magic hands could help my aching nose," he laughed.

            "Ye big baby," Catti-brie twisted around, putting her arms around his waist.  She kissed the tip of his nose.  "That feel better?"

            Drizzt pulled her closer.  "A little," he grinned mischievously.  "And what about my aching mouth?"

            Catti-brie grinned and kissed him, long and hard.  Neither noticed Bruenor stop in front of the open door.

            "Took the two o' ye long enough," he said.

            They broke apart, both blushing furiously.  Bruenor laughed at that.

            "Ye look like two little kids caught kissin' in the halls at school."  He continued on his way.  "Now I know what Regis was so durned happy about last night," he muttered to himself.

            "That's exactly what Regis said he'd say," Drizzt told Catti-brie after Bruenor left.

            "Regis?"

            "He followed us last night, and confronted me in front of my door.  He said the exact same thing as Bruenor, and then said that was what he would say."

            "Why that little….  Spying on us?"

            "Of course.  Apparently, nothing can be kept a secret here."

            "Ye got that right.  Now, where were we?"

            "I think right here." Drizzt kissed her again.

(A/N:  Hmmmmm.  That started to get evil (as in it started to suck) somewhere in the middle, when I started to fall asleep (around 1).  Sorry about that, people.  I woke up, again, though.  R/R, please.  Should I write more?  Yes?  No?  I'm not doing any more until I get at least one review, so…be warned.)


	3. Chapter Three

(A/N:  Guess what I've been doing since 3 this afternoon (it's 11)!  That's right!  Reading more fanfics!  Have you ever noticed how if you sit at the computer for long enough, your hands get ice-cold?  Isn't that neat?  I'm wearing all black and I have a white cat that likes to sit on you when you're at the computer…8 hours of fur…not a pretty sight.  Anywho, I'm back in my room with the drafty windows and sucky laptop, pondering if when a man with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it a hostage situation?  So, obviously, I am once again defrying my brain.  I wonder if I can be considered legally insane yet….)

**Chapter Three**

            "It's a rabbit."

            "No it's not.  It's a fish."

            "Rabbit."

            "Fish."

            Drizzt and Catti-brie lay atop a hill, watching the clouds float by.

            "Fish," Catti-brie said.  "Since when does a rabbit have a forked tail?"

            "Since now," Drizzt argued.  "Since when does a fish have bunny ears?"

            "That's whiskers!  It's a catfish."

            "It's a snow cloud."

            "Ye can't change shapes in the middle!  And since when is a snow cloud a shape?"

            "It's not, but it's true."

            "Aye, yer right.  There'll be snow soon on the Dale."  She sat up, and looked down at Drizzt.  "But that's not a bad thing."

            "Not to you."  All his years on the surface had still not accustomed the drow to the chilling winters of Icewind Dale, though they were more bearable now.

            "Oh, c'mon.  Ye have to like the snow, at least a little."

            "A little.  When there's a nice, warm fire to go back to."

            "Aye," Catti-brie agreed with him.  "Yer generally too cold to start a fire when ye get back."

            "That I am.  But hopefully now someone will be there to warm me faster when I come in."

            Catti-brie grinned.  "That there will be!"  She lay back down and snuggled into his side.  "It s getting colder out."

            Drizzt's warm arm encircled her shoulders.  "Then perhaps we should be going in?"  He did not really want to.  It was too nice out there, lying with Catti-brie on the cool ground.

            "This is too nice," she said, unknowingly echoing his thoughts.  "Let's stay out for just a bit."

*********

            The Spider Queen looked down on the happy couple.

            "I will have you, Drizzt Do'Urden.  And then I will make you watch your beloved Catti-brie sold into slavery.  I will slowly destroy you.  You will be mine!"  Black lightning crackled through the room as her evil laughter rang out.

*********

            Drizzt sat bolt upright in bed, a sheen of sweat filming his face.  He had had a horrible nightmare, filled with darkness, fear, and despair.  He saw Lloth looking in a scrying pool at him and Catti-brie.  It horrified him, because it felt so real.

            A soft knock came at his door.  "Drizzt, are ye all right?" Catti-brie's voice got louder as she cracked the door open.  "Ye yelled out in yer seep."

            Drizzt winced, thinking how loud the yell must have been for Catti-brie to have heard.  "I'm fine.  Just a nightmare."

            She came the rest of the way into his room and sat on the edge of his bed.  "Are ye sure?  That didn't sound like 'just' a nightmare."  She noticed how badly he was shaking, and took his hands in hers.  "Care to tell me about it?"

            "I honestly don't remember much of it," he lied, his voice getting quieter and quieter.  "Just the feeling - darkness, death, despair, and danger."  Another sweat broke out on him, just thinking of it.  He started to tremble more, though he did his best to hide it.

            Catti-brie noticed this.  "Do ye want me to stay?" she asked him, hoping he would say yes so she could be near him longer.

            "Really, I'm fine."  Drizzt felt like a little kid.  He didn't want Catti-brie to leave, but didn't want her to think him a baby.  He knew he would be terrified to go back to sleep, either way.

            "That's not a real answer," Catti-brie told him.  She could see in his eyes that he wanted her to stay.

            He grinned sheepishly at her.  "Yeah, I want you to stay."

            Catti-brie kissed him and slid under the covers next to him.  He lay back down, but didn't close his eyes, too afraid of what he would dream next.

            "At least try to sleep," Catti-brie told him.

            Drizzt obediently closed his eyes, and almost immediately dropped off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

            Catti-brie looked at the drow that she had come to love.  He wouldn't know that the only reason she had heard his shout was that she was coming to his room anyway for comfort after her own nightmare, which was so similar to his.  She gently kissed his forehead and brushed a stray piece of his wild white hair off his face.  "I love you," she whispered, and lay back to wait for sleep to claim her.

*********

            The next morning, Catti-brie woke up early.  She knew that if Bruenor found her in Drizzt's room, he would flip out.  She eased her way out of the bed and left Drizzt sleeping peacefully.

            Catti-brie dressed and went outside.  Storm clouds were gathering, and soon snow would blanket the ground.  She laughed, thinking of the dismay on Drizzt's face the other day when he realized winter was fast coming.

            "What are you laughing at?"  Drizzt had snuck up behind her, making her jump when he started talking.

            "Yer face when ye realized winter was coming," she told him, starting to chuckle again.

            Drizzt started to laugh, too.  "Did I really look that funny?"

            "That you did!"  Catti-brie giggled.  "Just like you had just realized the end o' the world was near."

            "That's what it feels like, every year."  Drizzt sobered up quickly, staring at two dots coming down Kelvin's Cairn.  "What do you think that is?"

            Catti-brie followed his gaze, and saw the two dots.  "I have no ide- wait.  The drow and the human…might it be them?"

            Neither had given much thought to the two they had met that day, something they both feared now to be a foolish mistake.

            "I'm going to follow them," Drizzt said suddenly.

            "I'm comin'," Catti-brie told him in a no-arguing tone of voice.

            Drizzt called Guenhwyvar, and they headed out.  Catching up to the pair proved not to be too difficult.  They even managed to get close enough to hear what they were saying.  Guenhwyvar circled around to follow them on the other side, just in case a fight broke out.

            "Your stupid friend needs to learn how to give better directions," Liriel grumbled.  They had been searching the mountains for days for Fyodor's friend.  She was completely fed up with everything.  "You drag me up here to this freezing wasteland and get me lost…."  She went on and on until Fyodor finally stopped her.

            "You've done nothing but complain all the time we've been here."  His patience had finally given out.  "Why don't you just shut up for once?  It's not that bad.  If you knew you weren't going to like it – and I told you that you wouldn't – then you should have stayed behind in Rashemen.  It's not my fault the damn fool can't give directions, so don't go berating me about it."

            Fyodor, too, would have gone on and on, but Liriel stopped him with a kiss.

            "Okay, I get your point," she told him.  "I'll try and shut up for the rest of the time we're here.  But, can we try and get a warm room in Ten Towns?  I really don't think I can handle another night freezing out here."

"Of course," Fyodor told her.  "But…" he wasn't sure how the people would handle a drow in their midst.

"I'll keep my cowl pulled low," she promised him, guessing why he had paused.  She slipped her arm through his and leaned on his shoulder.  "One night, and then we can come back to this damn place and search and I won't complain.  Deal?"

"Deal," he agreed, smiling down at her.

Drizzt and Catti-brie moved back so they could converse freely without being heard.  Drizzt looked troubled, so Catti-brie waited patiently waited  for him to collect his thoughts and speak his mind.

"I feel like I should be more…more sympathetic," he began.  "I mean, how do I know that he plight is not similar to my own?  No 'self-respecting' drow from Menzoberranzan would ever kiss a human, or allow one to yell at her like that, or ask one for permission for anything."  His voice faded into silence.

"But how do ye know it's not a big façade?" Catti-brie asked him.  "Yer jes' trying to protect yerself and yer friends, an' nobody can blame ye fer that.  An' ye can't deny they're the most annoying people in th' world."

"I wouldn't go so far as saying 'in the world'," Drizzt grinned, his pensive mood lightened.  "There will always be someone more annoying out there.  Well, we know they're going to Ten Towns, and they'll probably go to Bryn Shander.  They can't cause any major trouble there.  Let's go back to the caves."  He shivered.  "It's cold out here."

Catti-brie slipped her arm around his waist.  "It's gonna snow today," she told him with a mischievous grin.

Drizzt just shook his head.  He had come out without his cloak and without his weapons.  Catti-brie wasn't much better off, she was cold, too.  She snuggled into his side as they walked back inside, with Guenhwyvar strolling along beside them.

"Do you want to go back?" Drizzt asked the panther, taking out her figurine.  She knocked back into his pocket before he could get it all the way out.  Catti-brie laughed at him.

"An' ye couldn't've guessed that for yerself?"

It started to snow as they were walking inside.  Drizzt stopped and turned back to watch the gently falling snow.  Catti-brie saw the wonder in his eyes and smiled to herself.  He really loved the snow, it was just a game they played each year, him pretending to hate it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she softly asked him, leaning on his shoulder.

Drizzt merely nodded.  They stood there quietly for a long time, watching the falling snow.

(A/N: Hey, did you know that no matter how many times you go back to your stories within 10 minutes, it doesn't make the number of reviews go up?  It's kind of like waiting for the elevator – according to adults (and I firmly deny this), no matter how many times you push the button, it doesn't come faster.  *Sigh*.  I want one more review before I post the next chapter.  Hmmm, maybe I should start writing it first before making promises….  Oh yeah, thanks to Sierra of the Hordelands for telling me where Rashemen is.)


	4. Chapter Four

(A/N: I'm ba-ack! I already got 3 more chapters written, but I'm only posting on of them. Hehehe. Evil strkes again. Say, what do you people think of a water fight between Drizzt and Catti-brie? Of course, what you say doesn't really matter since I already wrote it, but hey! Anyways, R/R, please!)

****

Chapter Four

Liriel and Fyodor arrived at the gates of Bryn Shander just before nightfall. They were let in, Liriel with the cowl of her cloak pulled low over her face. They walked down the street, looking for an inn.

"A few weeks ago, you never would have done this," Fyodor said softly to her.

"A few weeks ago, I wasn't here, freezing to death. A few weeks ago, it wasn't snowing. I'd do anything now, including hide me heritage, to get to a warm room."

"It just doesn't seem right," he said.

"I don't care," she replied. "I want to be warm for just one night."

Fyodor smirked. "And what happens if there's no rooms to be found?"

"I'll beat you to a pulp," she said. Fyodor couldn't see the smile on her face because it was so shadowed by her cowl, so he decided not to push it.

They found an inn and got a room for the night. Liriel built up the fire and sat as close to it as she could without getting burned. She scooted over to let Fyodor join her on the chair. He pulled her onto his lap, and they sat there, cuddling in front of the fire.

"We have a nice, warm bed," Liriel said suggestively after a while.

Fyodor smiled down at her. "That we do, little raven."

She kissed him passionately as he carried her over to the bed. Their clothes were flung on the floor as they melted into a night of bliss.

* * * * *

The next morning, Fyodor woke up first. He turned on his side to look at Liriel as she slept, a slight smile creasing her lips. Her white hair cascaded over the pillows like a waterfall. He brushed a stray wisp of it from her face. Her golden eyes flickered open, as she yawned and stretched, smiling sleepily up at him.

"Sleep good?" he asked her.

"Never better," she said, pulling his head down for a kiss.

"Fyodor got up and dressed, as Liriel watched him.

"You want to leave right now, right?" she asked, more a statement than a question.

"Yeah," he grinned sheepishly. "But I'll wait until you're really ready to go. Don't rush."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. She could see in his eyes that he was impatient to go, but was willing to wait for her for as long as she wanted. She dearly wished that she could stay in bed for another few hours, but was willing to give that up for Fyodor.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes," she told him. She dragged herself out of the warm bed, gasping as her feet hit the cold floor. She started to dress.

"I'll go get some breakfast," Fyodor said as he left the room.

Liriel collapsed back on the bed as soon as he left. "The things I do for that man," she muttered. "Back to freezing to death."

They left less than half an hour later, leaving town without incident, heading back up to the mountains.

* * * * *

Drizzt woke up early that same morning. It had been very calm around the Dale lately, and the drow and the human were nothing Catti-brie couldn't watch. So, Drizzt decided to go to Silverymoon and visit Alustriel for a while. He considered inviting Catti-brie along, but disregarded the idea immediately. It was too early for anyone else to be up, and he wanted to leave right away. It was wonderful being on the road early in the morning. So, he left her a note.

__

Catti-brie~

I left for a trip to Silverymoon this morning. I didn't want to wake you up. I'll be back in a week or two. Remember the drow.

Love,

Drizzt

He left the note folded on his dresser with her name on the front. He picked up his pack and turned to leave. The corner of his pack knocked a lit candle onto his bed. He didn't notice, and left, closing the heavy door behind him. He left the caves quickly, and was soon on his way to Silverymoon.

(A/N: So, was that a good cliffhanger? Yes? No? Maybe so? Short, I know, but too bad for you! Hey, will someone tell me if they find a spot (or a chapter) where I missed Catti-brie's accent? I'd really appreciate this. R/R, please, people. I'm going to be greedy, and ask for three reviews before I post the next chapter. Hurry and review people, I think the next chapter's my only good one so far. But, that's just me. It's probably my worst one. R/R, please!)


	5. Chapter Five

(A/N: It's 10:00PM.  Anyone else notice how I always seem to write late at night?  I woke up at 6:30 today and left the house at 8:15 to go skiing on Mt. Wachusett.  I got to skip school.  Ha ha to all you poor pathetic people who had to sit in classes.  Anyway, I skied from 10:30 to 3:30.  First time ever.  I still like cross-country skiing better, but downhill is OK.  Anyways, I am exhausted and my arms hurt from hanging onto the rope tow.  The whole point in telling you people this is to 1) brag about how I WASN'T IN SCHOOL TODAY (major accomplishment when I usually have to go to school even if I'm puking) and 2) I am so tired that this is going to be extremely scarily bad.  OK?  R/R, please.)

Disclaimer: My best friend wrote the song.  If anyone steals the words, then I will personally hunt them down and kill them slowly, right after I heal from her trying to kill me for getting her song stolen.  I hope you like the song, cuz the lyrics are nice and the tune is really pretty.

****

**Chapter Five**

The flames took a while to catch Drizzt's thick bedding, but then they did, the whole thing went up n flames.  Catti-brie, who had just woken up, open Drizzt's door to see if he was awake yet.  A billow of smoke greeted her.

"Drizzt!" she shouted into the thick smoke.  She tried to go in, but the smoke was too thick.  "Fire in the tunnels!" she shouted.  "Drizzt's room!"

The whole corridor heard her, even through the thick walls.  Bruenor, and even lazy Regis, were by her side in an instant.  Other dwarves rushed in with buckets of water.  The trapped smoke had quickly poured out of the room once Catti-brie opened the door, leaving only the raging fire behind.  It was soon put out, but not before completely destroying Drizzt's bed, and a corner of his desk as well.  Ironically, although nothing in his desk was destroyed, the note Drizzt wrote explaining where he had gone was burned up.

Catti-brie, Bruenor, and Regis just stood there in shock.  They could not believe that Drizzt was dead - for he surely would not have left without warning them of the fire, which he undoubtedly must have started by accident.  They numbly searched his room for anything that might have told them Drizzt was all right.  The bed was completely ashes.  If he had been asleep there - as they thought he was - not even bones would be left.  It was too much for Catti-brie; she collapsed and a group of dwarves carried her back to her room.  Bruenor was not in much better shape.  Regis was walking around in a daze.  He could not believe that one of his closest friends was gone.  Gone in a freak accident.

The three of them lay in their separate rooms.  Bruenor and Catti-brie were senseless with grief.  Regis lay there, remembering.  He remembered all of his time with Drizzt, both good and bad.  A memory of Drizzt right after Wulfgar had died spurred him into action.  Drizzt had put aside his grief and tried to help his three friends' through theirs.  That is what Regis knew he had to do, now.  Drizzt was not here to do it, so he would have to.  Regis would have to be the strong one in this case.  He buried his grief, and went to try and rise his friends.  Grieving was okay, but Regis knew that the depth his friends were in was not healthy.  He decided to try Catti-brie first - he was least likely to be killed talking to her. 

*  *  *  *  *

Catti-brie lay on her bed, lost in grief.  She had lost Wulfgar right before their wedding.  Then, he had come back, and she had lost him yet again.  Now, right after she and Drizzt had truly admitted and acknowledged their feelings for each other, she lost Drizzt.  It hurt more than both times she had lost Wulfgar, combined.  Drizzt had been her best friend since she was a little girl.  She had loved him for as long as she could remember, and now he was gone.  She knew that Drizzt would not have wanted her to be like this, but she couldn't help it.

_If you could see me now you wouldn't_

_Think much of me at all_

_If you been through what I been through then_

_I know you too would fall_

A soft knock came at her door.  It reminded her of the way Drizzt used to knock when she was troubled by something, but it was too loud.  She didn't answer, and couldn't have cared less had it been Ao, Himself.

"Catti-brie?"  Regis opened the door.  He hated to see he like this.  She was usually so vibrant and full of life.  It had been three days, and she still lay as if she were dead.  So did Bruenor, in his room.  Regis feared that losing Drizzt had destroyed both of them.

He came and sat on he bed.  "Hey, you have to eat something."

"Why?" her voice was muffled and tear choked.

"Because you do."  He decided to pull guilt on her.  It was cruel, he knew, but it might get her up.  "Remember when Wulfgar fell to the  _yochlol?  Remember how Drizzt pulled us through that?  That's what he would be doing right now.  He wouldn't want you to be lying here like this.  He would want you to move on."_

Catti-brie couldn't believe he was saying that.  Did he have no feelings at all?  Did he not care?

_You tell me don't cry_

_Get on with your life_

_Well how do I live without him by my side_

_You can't say it's all right_

Regis continued talking, but Catti-brie wasn't listening anymore.  Drizzt had always been beside her, through thick and thin.  Now he wasn't and would never be again.

_Don't think about the past_

_It wasn't meant to last_

_I've heard enough_

_Just leave me be_

_If only I could make you see_

"Go away," she mumbled.  Regis new better than to push her any further.  He left her breakfast on the bed.

"Eat," were his last words, as he went to try and talk to Bruenor.

Catti-brie still lay immobile, remembering Drizzt.  Silent sobs wracked her shoulders.  She hadn't cried once since finding Drizzt's room in flames.  But now, the tears started and wouldn't stop.

_If only you could see me crying_

_I know that you'd cry too_

_Cuz__ people lie this isn't heaven_

_Just look what love's put me through_

        She cried herself to sleep that night, as she would for many more.

*  *  *  *  *

Regis beat  a hasty retreat from Bruenor's room.  He had almost been clobbered by flying debris.  Bruenor definitely didn't want to see anyone.  He went back to his room and let the waves of grief wash over him.

Regis, too, cried himself to sleep that night.

*  *  *  *  *

        The next day, Regis decided to try Catti-brie again.  She was looking marginally better, but it may have only been Regis' wishful thinking.

        Catti-brie once more tuned him out.  She didn't want to see or hear anyone, she just wanted to die.

_You can't say it's fine_

_It just might take some time_

_But I just can't breathe when he's not by my side_

_You can't say it's all right_

"If I sit up will ye shut up an' go away?" Catti-brie finally growled at Regis.

He readily agreed - it was a step forward, at least.  Catti-brie sat up and rubbed an arm across her read, puffy eyes.  She had been crying almost constantly for days.  When she finally looked at Regis, she inwardly winced.  His face was pale, and his eyes were red-rimmed.  He looked deathly.  What she didn't know was that he looked upon much of the same thing.  She thought that she should get up, just to ease some of Regis' self-imposed burden.

"Please try to eat something," he told her.

She dutifully picked up some bacon and chewed on it.  It held absolutely no taste for her, but she ate it to try and ease the strain and tension on her friend's face.  He looked relieved to see her eat it.

"All right," he told her.  "Now I'll go."

He left to go see Bruenor, but Bruenor was no different than the day before.  Regis once more retreated to his rooms.

*  *  *  *  *

It was a week before Catti-brie got out of bed.  Regis had finally convinced Bruenor to at least listen to him, but he feared the dwarf was beyond any help.  He was dying of grief.

Catti-brie took to waking early, and going to Bruenor's climb to watch the sunrise.  It had been Drizzt's favorite spot, where he went to watch the sunrise every morning.  She missed Drizzt so bad, and would have given anything to have him by her side again.

A week and a half more passed.  It had been two and a half weeks since Drizzt perished in the fire.  Nothing had been touched in his room, except to clean off the soot.  Regis had finally gotten Bruenor up and moving, with Catti-brie's help.  She, too, had apparently put aside her grief to help her father.  Regis knew that if Bruenor died, both he and Catti-brie would soon follow.  Neither would have the will to live after losing three close friends.

*  *  *  *  *

Drizzt had a lovely stay in Silverymoon.  Alustriel was pleased to hear that he and Catti-brie were finally together.  She knew that they loved each other, even before they would admit it to themselves.  Two and a half weeks after leaving Icewind Dale, and he was almost home again.  He was going to stop atop Bruenor's Climb and watch the sunrise, and then continue into the tunnels and wake up Catti-brie.  How he had missed her during their short time apart!

To his surprise, Catti-brie was up on Bruenor's climb.  Her head was buried in her arms, and her shoulders shook with sobs.  Drizzt's faced clouded with concern.

"Catti-brie?" he said.  "Are you okay?"

She looked up at the sound of his voice.  "Drizzt?" she said, questioningly.  When she saw him, she looked as if she had seen a ghost.  "Drizzt?"

"Yes, it's me.  Is-" he broke off as Catti-brie nearly knocked him off his feet.  She hugged him so tightly he thought his ribs would crack, but he gladly returned it.  His shoulder was wet with her tears.  "What-" he started to ask, but Catti-brie cut him off.

"There was a fire in yer room," she told him, her voice muffled by tears and his shoulder.

"Nobody was hurt?" he asked, doubly concerned.

"No, but we though-" she broke down into fresh sobs, just glad he was alive.

Drizzt held her close, realizing what they must have thought.  He murmured comforting words into her ear.  When it finally seemed like she was going to collapse, Drizzt picked her up and carried her to a rock.  He sat down with Catti-brie on his lap, rocking her like she was a little baby,

They sat like that for a while, until Catti-brie's sobs finally quieted.  Drizzt still held onto her, and gently wiped the tears off her face.  She pulled away from him a little bit, her face hardening into a mask of anger.

"I'm so sorry," he began, before she could start berating him for not telling anyone where he was.  "I went to Silverymoon.  It was early and I didn't want to wake you up and take you with me, so I left a note.  Apparently, it was burned up."  He pulled her back into a fierce hug and then softly kissed her.  "As much as I'd love to stay out here and enjoy the view with you, I have to go tell Bruenor and Regis."

"Regis has been acting the part o' yerself when Wulfgar died," she told him, smiling for the first time in weeks.  "I don't think he's allowed himself time to grieve."

"C'mon.  Let's go," Drizzt said.  Catti-brie clung to his side as they went into the caves, as though if she let him move too far away, he would disappear.

They came upon Bruenor's rooms first and went in.  They had seen no dwarves in the halls.  It was much too early for any of them to be up.  Bruenor lay facedown on his bed, his blankets pulled over his head.

"Go away," they heard him mumble from beneath the blankets.  "I'm not getting up today.  I don't care what ye say, Regis, or Catti-brie, or whoever ye are.  Go away."

"Okay," Drizzt said good-naturedly, moving forward instead of leaving.  "If you're sure you don't want to see me…."

Bruenor sat straight up in bed.  "Drizzt?" he whispered hoarsely.

"None other," Drizzt replied, grinning.  "Now, are you going to sit there looking like you've seen a ghost, or are you going to get up and greet your friend-back-from-the-dead?"

Bruenor was over there in a second, he, too, hugging Drizzt tightly.  So tight, in fact, the elf could hardly draw a breath.  Tears streamed unabashedly down the dwarf's face.  Drizzt dropped to one knee and returned the embrace.

"I never though I'd see yer face again," Bruenor mumbled.  He pushed Drizzt back to arms length, suddenly angry.  "Ye durned elf," he yelled, "where in the Nine Hells-"

Drizzt cut him off.  "I was in Silverymoon.  I left a note, but it got burned up."

"Ye stupid, thoughtless-" Bruenor muttered, embracing Drizzt again.  "I thought I'd lost ye."

Drizzt finally got Bruenor's welcoming over with.  Catti-brie had stayed at the threshold, giving the two their semi-privacy.

Bruenor stayed behind to bathe and dress.  Catti-brie followed Drizzt to Regis' room.  She slipped her hand into his, needing the comfort.  He squeezed her hand and pulled her in closer, wrapping an arm around her waist.  He wanted her close, too.  It was a bit startling to come back to a place where your closest friends thought you dead.

In Regis' room, the halfling was asleep.  He looked gaunt - well, as gaunt has he could look - and hollow-eyed.

"I almost think I should leave him asleep," Drizzt said.  "He looks like he needs it."

"But it's grief fer yerself that's causing this," Catti-brie reminded him.  "sleep won't help.  Knowing yer alive will."

Their quiet conversation woke the restless halfling.

"Drizzt!" he squealed, and threw himself at the dark elf.

Drizzt easily caught him in midair and pulled him into a tight embrace.  Tears ran down Regis' face, as they had down Bruenor's and Catti-brie's.  The halfling was much thinner than he used to be.  Drizzt was amazed at how much weight could be lost in such a short period of time. When he finally let go and Drizzt put him on the ground, Drizzt's shirt was once more soaked with tears.  The halfling stood their glaring at him.  Regis opened his mouth to speak, but Drizzt beat him to it.

"I was in Silverymoon," Drizzt explained for the third time.  "I left a note, but it apparently got burned up.  You can't think I'd be stupid enough to let myself be burned up, too."  That brought a thin smile to Regis' face.

"Thank the gods you're okay," he said to Drizzt.

They stood in silence for a moment.  "I need to change," Drizzt finally said, breaking the silence.  "Is there anything left?"

"Ummm," Catti-brie looked at Regis.  She hadn't been in Drizzt's room since the day they found the fire.

Regis shrugged.  "Maybe.  I don't really know."

"I'm going to go see," Drizzt told them.

"I need a bath," Regis said, more to himself than them.  "I'll see you in a bit."

Drizzt looked at Catti-brie, silently asking her if she would come.  She slightly nodded her head.  As they walked out of the room, he slipped his arm around he waist again.

He steeled himself when they got to his door.  He felt Catti-brie tense beside him.  He held her closer and opened the door.  It wasn't as bad as he expected.  The corner where his bed had been was just a blackened corner of stone.  One corner of his desk as charred.  He moved over to it, taking Catti-brie with him.  She clung to his waist with one arm.

"Ironic," he said as he opened a few drawers.  Nothing inside was touched.  "The only things burned were the bed and the note.  What are the odds."

Catti-brie smiled weakly.  "What're th' odds."

Drizzt gently extricated himself from her tight grip and went over to his chest of clothes.  He opened it and took out a shirt, then immediately put it back in and closed the chest.  Everything stunk of smoke.

"Gods.  I need a new bed and new clothes.  Or, at least, these need to be aired out."  He grinned at Catti-brie, trying to get her to smile back.

"Ye need a new room," she said, trying to smile.

"You're right."  Drizzt, although he did not show it, was shaken.  If he had been in the bed, he shuddered to think what would have happened.

He went over to his pack and pulled out the last clean outfit he had.  Catti-brie moved outside and shut the door behind her.  She leaned against the wall, shaking.  Seeing his room, even with him by her side, had been extremely disturbing.

Drizzt got dressed quickly and came out.  When he saw Catti-brie trembling, he pulled her into his warm embrace.

"I'd rather lose Wulfgar a hundred times than yerself once," she told him.

"It'd take more than a little fire to get rid of me," he told her, kissing the top of her head.

She pulled away.  "How can ye be treating this so lightly," she asked, furious.  "Ye leave without telling anyone, I wake up and come to yer room to see if yer up and am greeted by smoke rushing into my face.  Yer nowhere to be found, and now yer treating this like it's nothing?"  She turned away, shaking fiercely.

Drizzt grabbed her arm and spun her back around.  He showed her his hands, which were shaking.

"I have to, it's just how I deal with things.  Just because I don't show it or act it doesn't mean I don't feel it."  He pulled her back into his arms.  She collapsed against him, sobbing again.  He held her, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear.  He had had no idea she was the first to find the fire.  That must have been extremely traumatic.

Catti-brie finally calmed down.  She moved away a little and wiped her eyes.  Drizzt gently tipped up her chin and softly kissed her.

"I'll try not to act so flippant," he told her.

"Don't," she said.  "It'd be too weird with if ye was all serious.  Just be yerself."  Still, she was touched that he would have tried to change for her.  Wulfgar never would have done something that considerate.

Drizzt smiled, knowing she had just needed to vent and release some stress.

"Let's go find Bruenor and get ye another room," she told him.

They walked down the hall hand-in-hand.  They heard Bruenor yelling before they got anywhere close to him.

"I don't do anything for less than a month and the whole damned place falls apart.  Does nobody know how to do anything?"

Catti-brie and Drizzt shared a smile.  Bruenor was back in action.  Drizzt remembered what Bruenor was like when Wulfgar died, and figured it must have been much the same.  What he didn't know was that it had been much worse.  Last time, Drizzt was there to pull everybody through.  This time, it was only Regis, and he wasn't that good at it.

Drizzt and Catti-brie tried to work their way through the dwarves, but found it impossible.  Every dwarf wanted to greet Drizzt and slap him on the back.  They were all glad he was back.

"Da!" Catti-brie yelled above Bruenor's own noise.  He stopped and turned around, grinning when he saw Drizzt.  "Drizzt needs a new room," she said, quieter.  "Where's an empty one he can use?"

"There's one next t' yers," Bruenor said slyly.  "A couple o' dwarves can move a longer bed in.  D'ye want that one, elf?"

Drizzt grinned and nodded.  "Sure, why not?"

Bruenor shouted for a couple of dwarves to come and help move Drizzt's things and get a new bed.  It was done in short order.  Everything was placed in exactly the same place as in his other room.  Catti-brie sat on the end of the bed and watched Drizzt as he went through everything.  His earlier assessment held true.  Nothing was damaged - save the corner of his desk - and nothing smelled more than faintly of smoke.  Except, of course, his clothes.  He didn't even bother opening his clothes chest, just stood staring at it.

"What am I going to do with these?" he groaned.  Catti-brie giggled at him.

"Wash 'em.  Maybe the smell will wash out."

"Oh gods," he groaned again.  "That's far too much laundry to even think about."

Catti-brie giggled again.  "I'll help," she told him.  Her stomach growled loudly, so she added, "after I have some food."

Regis was sitting at the table, stuffing his face.  Catti-brie got a huge plate of food - almost as much as Regis - and sat down across from him.  Drizzt, with a more moderate plate, sat down next to Catti-brie.  Catti-brie eyed Regis' plate of food.

"And in all the days ye was telling me I had to eat somethin', how many times did yerself eat?"

"More than you," he said through a mouthful of food.

Drizzt smiled at their easy banter.  Life was back in Regis' eyes.  Regis was glad to see Catti-brie moving around with purpose, instead of listlessly as she was before.

*  *  *  *  *

When Catti-brie finished eating, she and Drizzt went to wash his clothes.  They chatted while working.

"Did you see anything of the drow and human?" Drizzt asked her as they were hanging the last of the clothes to dry.

"No," she shook her head, "but the patrols said they have been searching the mountains for the past weeks."

Drizzt sighed.  "I wish I knew what they were looking for so I could find it and give it to them, so they'd leave."

"Yeah, but ye can't.  They probably wouldn't tell ye."  She splashed him to make her point.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, and splashed her back.

She splashed him again, and ducked behind a table so he couldn't get her.  Drizzt grabbed a wet shirt and flicked it behind the table, spraying her with water.  Catti-brie shrieked and ran laughing over to a bucket of water.  She cupped her hand and threw a handful of water at him, hitting his face.  He cried out as if in pain and covered his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Catti-brie apologized, concerned.  She walked over to him, not noticing the bucket of water at his feet.  "Are ye okay?"

When she was close enough, Drizzt grabbed the bucket and flung the water at her, totally soaking her.  He dashed over to grab more water.  Catti-brie stood, stunned, for an instant, and then dived for his legs, grinning.  She tripped him up and jumped over him to grab the bucket.  Drizzt got up, laughing, and was immediately met by a bucketful of water dumped over his head.  He stepped back and wiped the water out of his eyes.  There was one bucket of water left, and equal distance away from both him and Catti-brie,  They looked at each other, and by silent agreement both started for the bucket at the same time.  It was on the opposite side of the room, and Drizzt quickly took the lead.  Catti-brie wasn't going to let him get to the bucket ahead of her, so she tried to tackle him.  He heard her coming, and sidestepped.  She threw out a leg and tripped him anyway.  She jumped back up, but Drizzt dragged her back down again.  They both jumped up and reached the bucket at the same time.  They fought over it, laughing, pulling it back and forth between them.  Neither noticed the door open and a surly dwarf stomp in.

"What in th' Nine Hells is goin' on in here!" Bruenor yelled.

Drizzt and Catti-brie froze with the bucket between them.  Catti-brie recovered first, grabbing the bucket and tipping it over on Drizzt.  Only a little bit of water spilled out before her tipped it back on her.  They were now both completely soaked.

"I can hear ye all th' way down th' hall!"  Bruenor yelled at them.  "Look at th' mess ye made!"

"It's only water," Drizzt said.  He and Catti-brie stood next to each other, both breathing hard and trying to keep a properly apologetic look on their faces.

"Yeah, water that's all over th' place!  An' yer both soaked!"

Catti-brie couldn't help it.  She started to giggle, looking around the room and at Drizzt.  She tried to hide it behind her hand, but couldn't.  She burst out laughing, and had to lean against Drizzt's side to stay up.  Drizzt, too, started to laugh, holding Catti-brie up.  The room was soaked, pools of water lay everywhere.

Bruenor's mouth started to twitch, looking at Catti-brie and Drizzt.  They looked pretty funny, standing there with their hair plastered against their heads and dripping onto their faces.  Their clothes were plastered to their bodies.  Bruenor tried to keep his scowling visage, but couldn't.  He started to chuckle.

"See ye get it cleaned up," he said, and left the room, shaking his head.  He though Drizzt was better suited for Catti-brie than Wulfgar.  Wulfgar never would have been part of the water fight.  As much as Bruenor loved Wulfgar, he knew Catti-brie would have a much better life with Drizzt.  Of course, the trouble the two would get into, horsing around like that, was sure to make life a problem.   They seemed to bring out the worst in each other.  Bruenor started to chuckle all over again, remembering how they looked, standing there.

Back in the laundry room, Drizzt and Catti-brie finally stopped laughing, both holding their bellies and gasping for breath.  Drizzt went over to grab a couple of mops.  As he was walking through a puddle of water, he slipped and fell flat on his back.

"Watch out, th' floor's slippery," Catti-brie laughed.  She got a running start and slid over to him, spraying him with water as she slid through the puddle.  She reached down to help him up, and let out a little cry as he pulled her down into his lap.  She smiled, and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.  They came up, gasping for air a couple of times, and went right back down.

When they finally broke apart, both were gasping and out of breath.  Catti-brie looked around the room.

"I suppose we should clean this place up before Bruenor comes back," she told Drizzt, grinning at the mess they made.

"Yeah, I suppose we should," Drizzt replied, grinning down at her.

Catti-brie sobered up quickly, and locked her gaze on his lavender orbs.  "Don't ye _ever leave again without wakin' someone up an' tellin' them.  Swear t' me, ye won't ever do that."_

"I promise," he said.  "I'll wake up the whole place, if it will make you feel better."  He smiled tenderly down at her, and hugged her tightly.  "But no matter what, I'll wake you up every time."

Catti-brie smiled, happy again.  She stood up and pulled Drizzt up after her.  She ran to get two mops, sliding gracefully through each puddle.  Drizzt watched what she was doing, and then followed, sliding a little less gracefully.  Catti-brie glanced back at him and laughed.

"Can ye do this?"  She ran for a large puddle and started sliding.  Halfway through, she jumped in the air and spun around, her auburn hair flying out around her head.  When she came back down, she kept sliding to the other side, without a break in her momentum.

Drizzt grinned and went for the same puddle.  He spun fine, his white mane flying out just like Catti-brie's, but tripped when he landed, falling flat on his face.

Catti-brie laughed merrily as he climbed to his feet and gave him a mop.  "Ever been ice skating?"

He grinned and shook his head.

"I should take ye down t' th' lake sometime," Catti-brie said.

They sailed around the room, mopping the floor.  Since they spent most of the time fooling around, it took almost two hours.  They were both still soaked when they finished.

"We should go change into some dry clothes," Catti-brie said, when the room was dry and put back in order.

Drizzt froze, glanced over at his hanging clothes, and then looked back at Catti-brie, a comic look of dismay on his face.

"I don't have any dry clothes," he told her.  "I'm going to freeze in these!"

Catti-brie tried not to laugh at him.  "Ye've got to have somethin'," she said.  "Let's go look.  Did ye take everythin' out o' yer pack?"

He thought for a moment, already starting to shiver since they stopped moving.  "No, I don't think so."

They went back to their respective rooms.  Each peeled off their wet clothing and dried off.  They met between their rooms, Drizzt in a rumpled tunic and trousers, and Catti-brie still brushing her hair.

Regis walked by them, then, and laughed at Drizzt.  "Should have thought to leave at least one clean pair of clothes dry," he told him.  "Did you have fun, making a mess?"

"How'd ye know?" Catti-brie asked, surprised.

"Bruenor's walking around, muttering about how you two bring out the worst in each other," Drizzt and Catti-brie grinned at that, "and so I asked him why.  Nobody can keep a secret here, you two should know that by now."

Regis continued down the hall, shaking his head.  Bruenor was right; they did bring out the worst in each other.  But, that was all the more reason for them to be together, he thought.

"Call Guen," Catti-brie said, "an' let's go outside.  It's a nice day, an' Guen's good company."

Drizzt grabbed his cloak, and he and Catti-brie walked outside, with Guenhwyvar by their side.

(A/N: OK, that was really bad.  That was even worse than Chapter Four.  Anyways, I want a whole bunch of reviews before putting up Chapter Six, OK?  *Sigh* I gotta learn to write better stories.)


	6. Chapter Six

(A/N: OK, people, this chapter is really retarded.  It's got to be my worst yet.  As an answer to Loriko Neko, in health class, we did an experiment.  We put lit a cigarette and but it on a bit of bedding with a human bone, and I don't even WANT to know where they got it from, on it.  By the time class was half over, there was nothing left of the bone.  Total ashes.  So, yes, it is possible.  R/R people.  I want a whole heck of a lot of reviews before posting the next chapter.  *Conveniently forgets to mention that it's not even half-written yet*)

**Chapter Six**

****

Liriel had had enough.  "We have been searching these gods forsaken mountains for almost two whole months.  Enough!  We are obviously not going to find your friend.  Don't you ever give up?  Because I'm telling you, now's the time.  This is hopeless.  We needed better directions from the start.  If we haven't found him by now, the whole damn problem has probably righted itself.  It is time to _leave.  Time to go back somewhere __warm.  I have suffered through this long enough.  If you aren't coming, I'm leaving you behind, I don't care.  I'll go back to Skullport or something, and you can come find me there when you're done, __if I want to be found.  I have half a mind to leave right now and totally forget about these last months, you included."  She stopped to watch his reaction._

Fyodor was stunned.  Liriel hadn't complained much since that one night in town.  They went back, at least once a week so she could get thoroughly warmed up.  He realized she was right, though.  They weren't going to find his friend, it was hopeless, and he should just give up.  Whatever the problem was, it wasn't worth losing Liriel over.

"I'm sorry," he said, his face contrite.  "You're right.  And whatever it is, it's not worth losing you over.   Let's go back, right now, stay the night in Bryn Shander, and go south for a while.  The gods know you deserve it for putting up with this for so long."

"You got that right," she told him, her face grim, but she was inwardly smiling.  She never would have left him, not for the world.  She loved him too much, but sometimes, she had to scare him like that, keep him in line.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asked her, his handsome face sincerely worried.

She pretended to think about it.  His face grew more and more worried, but he held his tongue, waiting for her to give him an answer before starting to beg.  He wondered, for a minute, when his life had become so completely wrapped up in the dark little elf, such an unlikely person to love.  But, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Liriel watched his face, and finally took pity on him.  "I guess," she sighed, but then grinned, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.  He gladly returned it, wrapping his strong arms around her, as if to make her stay.  His relief was obvious on his face.  He didn't doubt for a minute that if Liriel got mad enough, she would indeed leave.

"You know I could never live without you," she told him, snuggling into his warm arms.

He tightened his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.  "Neither could I."

They stood like that for a minute, but then Liriel wriggled out of his arms.  He let go of her reluctantly.  She skipped down the slope, looking back at him, following for slowly.  

She ran back up to him and grabbed his arm, laughing.  "You're so slow!  Come on, let's go!"  She was happy again, knowing within the day she would be sitting in front of a warm fire, not having to dread waking up the next morning and going back out.  She skipped ahead of him again.  Her happiness was addictive, and Fyodor started to move faster.  He got ahead of her, and it turned into a little race between them.  Fyodor's legs were much longer, so he quickly took the lead.

Liriel laughed, and tried to catch up to him.  He was getting farther ahead of her, now, looking back over his shoulder and laughing.  Suddenly, he disappeared from view with a yell.

"Fyodor!" Liriel shrieked and hurled herself down the slope.  She dropped to her knees by the hole, and saw Fyodor lying at the bottom of a tunnel.  "Fyodor!" she called, her golden eyes filled with worry.

He groaned and sat up.  "I'm okay, Little Raven, just sore."  He looked around and up.  "There's absolutely no way to climb back up," he said.  "Do you have any rope?"

She didn't, and told him so.

"This is just wonderful," he said.  "Look, go to Bryn Shander and wait there for me.  I'll find my way out of here."

"There's no way in Hell I'm leaving you down there," she told him.  "You don't have a torch, and it undoubtedly gets dark.  How are you going to see well enough not to fall into another hole?"  Without further ado, she levitated down into the hole.  "I'm going with you."

Fyodor just shook his head at her, though he was glad she was with him.  It really was dark in the tunnel, and if he met up with any sort of monster, the monster would have every advantage.  With Liriel by his side, at least she could warn him of any potential dangers.  Fyodor knew he was too heavy for her to levitate out of there with him, so he didn't even suggest it.

They walked off down the tunnel, Fyodor stumbling along beside Liriel.  She lined his feet with faerie fire, so he could see the floor right in front of him.  He smiled at her in thanks, and then returned his eyes to the floor.  They walked for the better part of an hour before Fyodor realized that it was growing lighter.  There was a bend in the tunnel up ahead, and when they rounded it, Fyodor shouted in surprise.

"Rognar!" he shouted.  A tall, gaunt man sat in front of a blazing fire.  He looked up in surprise as Fyodor ran around the bend.

"Fyodor?!" he said in surprise, jumping up.  The two met in the middle of the cave and embraced warmly.  "I though something had happened to you.  It's been, what, 4 months since I sent you that not?  What the hell happened?  And why didn't you come in the front way?"

"It's because your directions are a bit…lacking," Liriel said dryly, as she came into view.  A look of surprise crossed Rognar's face, but he quickly schooled his expression into an emotionless mask.  He glanced over to Fyodor, waiting for an explanation.

"Rognar, this is Liriel.  Liriel, Rognar."  Liriel came to stand next to Fyodor, and he dropped an arm around her waist.  Fyodor shot Rognar a look, telling him plainly to be polite or else.  Rognar extended a hand to her.

"Pleased to meet you," he said.

Liriel merely glanced at the hand.  "Charmed, I'm sure," she said dryly.

"Excuse us for a moment," Fyodor told Rognar, rolling his eyes.  He took Liriel by the arm and moved her back behind the bend.

"Be polite," he hissed at her, quietly so Rognar wouldn't hear.

"Be damned if I will," Liriel replied, making no attempt to lower her voice.  "The man can't give directions to save his life, and we've been up here for almost three months.  That may be okay for you, but it sure as hell isn't for me.  It's cold up here, and just as soon as I've finally knocked some sense into you, you find the damned man.  Humans," she ended disgustedly.

Both of them heard a low laugh coming from the cave.  Fyodor glared at her once more, which she stonily returned.  He gave up, and sighed, turning to go back to talk to Rognar.  Liriel caught his hand and squeezed it.

"I'll try," she said quietly.  Fyodor just rolled his eyes and grinned.  After blowing off some steam, Liriel would agree to almost anything he asked her.  _Almost anything._

Back in the cave - Rognar's home - Rognar was sitting by the fire with two bowls of stew at his side.

"You two look hungry," he said.  "Please, have a seat and eat."

Fyodor sat down and grabbed a bowl of stew.  Liriel sat down next to him, as close to the fire as she could.  Fyodor passed her a bowl.  She tasted it gingerly at first, but then started spooning it hungrily into her mouth.  Fyodor watched her, grinning.

"Tastes good, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Mmmm," she murmured appreciatively.  "This has got to be the best stew I've tasted in months."  She moved a little closer to the fire, her cloak drawn closely around her.

"I do apologize for giving such shoddy directions," Rognar said.  "That has never been one of my strong points.  Living here, you kind of forget just how many places fit the same descriptions.  Please, accept my most humblest apologies."  This was aimed mostly at Liriel.  He and Fyodor had known each other long enough so they could just laugh over it.  She seemed to understand this and inclined her head slightly, silently accepting the apology.

"Where did you learn to cook so good?" Liriel asked, silently thinking wherever it was, Fyodor could use a stay there.

Rognar laughed.  "You have to know how to cook good if you're going to live on your own.  Otherwise, I'd die of starvation.  Fyodor would never make it on his own."  He and Liriel laughed together at that, while Fyodor pretended to be offended.

They spent the rest of the night chatting companionably.  Liriel eventually grew comfortable enough to lean against Fyodor's side.  He wrapped an arm around her, enjoying her closeness.

Liriel could finally barely keep her eyes open.  Fyodor and Rognar would stay up all night catching up with each other.  She finally gave up fighting it, and slipped into sleep leaning against Fyodor.  When he finally realized she was asleep, he asked Rognar if he had a spare room.

"Yes, but it only has one bed," Rognar replied.

"That'll do fine," Fyodor said.  He stood up, with Liriel in his arms.  Rognar led him to the room, and Fyodor carried Liriel in.  He took off her cloak and laid her on the bed, gently removing her boots.  Her eyes fluttered open, and he kissed the top of her head, telling her to go back to sleep.  She wasn't about to argue, and closed her eyes, letting the sweet surrender of sleep claim her.

Back out by the fire, Rognar stewed over Fyodor and Liriel.  They obviously loved each other.  He found that disturbing, for drow were notorious for their evilness and ability to manipulate people.  He resolved to discuss this thoroughly with Fyodor, as soon as he came out.

When Fyodor came back and sat down, Rognar looked at him askance.

"I love her ands he loves me," Fyodor said simply.

"Fyodor, she's a drow," Rognar said.

"Very good," Fyodor said sarcastically.  He had expected more acceptance from his friend.  "I don't care.  She forsook Lloth, and I know her love is true, as mine is."  He then proceeded to tell Rognar their story.

When he was finished, Rognar sat back, trying to absorb it all fully.

"I trust your judgment, Fyodor," Rognar finally said.  "If you say she is to be trusted, I believe you."  It was extremely late.  "What do you say we turn in?" Rognar asked, yawning.

Fyodor yawned, too.  He went and climbed into bed next to Liriel.  She snuggled into his side, barely waking up.  He put his arm around her, and went to sleep.

*  *  *  *  *

Liriel sat bolt upright in bed, a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.  Fyodor sat up next to her, immediately concerned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his arms coming around her to comfort her.

She leaned back against his chest, shaking.  "Nothing, just a nightmare," she told him, shuddering.  She was glad to be in his strong, protective embrace.

"Care to tell me about it?" he asked her.

"Lloth," Liriel paused, moving further back into his arms.  He tightened them around her, offering what comfort he could.  She continued, trying to keep the rising note of hysteria out of her voice.  "She was watching us, and that Drizzt Do'Urden character and the girl, making plans to have us all captured.  Me and Drizzt were to be sacrificed.  You and the girl were going to be sold into slavery."  She looked up at Fyodor, her golden eyes rimmed with tears.

"It was only a dream," he gently reminded her.

"I know," she told him, "but this seemed so real!  More real than any dream I have ever had.  More like a … a prophecy of some sort."  A single tear slipped down Liriel's cheek, leaving a glistening trail down her ebony skin.

Fyodor gently brushed it away.  "Some dreams are like that," he gently told her.  "It probably doesn't mean anything."  He kissed her and gently laid her back down next to him.  His arm curled around her shoulders as she lay hey head on his chest.  Her white hair flowed across his chest, mingling in stark contrast with his dark hair.

"You're sure?" she asked him.

"I'm sure," he replied, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  "Try to go back to sleep."

Her golden eyes slowly closed, and her tense body relaxed as sleep claimed her once again.  Fyodor smiled over at her sleeping form.  He closed his eyes and lay with his love by his side, waiting for sleep to claim him, too.

*  *  *  *  *

Rognar quietly knocked on their door in the morning to wake them for breakfast.  There was no sound from within, so Rognar quietly cracked open the door.  He saw Liriel and Fyodor cuddled together on the bed, still asleep, and quietly withdrew.  The drow did seem to love Fyodor, and Rognar's doubts were slowly being assuaged.

A few minutes later, Liriel came out of the room.  She came and sat across the fire from where Rognar was eating.  He handed a plate of food across to her, and she nodded in thanks.  They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes.

"You don't trust me," Liriel said abruptly and bluntly.

"I wouldn't say that I don't _trust you," Rognar said.  "I trust you as much as I trust anyone I've first met.  What I don't trust are your feelings for Fyodor."_

"My feelings for Fyodor are true," she said, staring straight into his eyes to make him believe her.  "I love him with all my heart, and would never do anything to hurt him."  She said it with enough intensity to convince him she was telling the truth.

He nodded, absorbing what she said.  "I believe you.  But," he cautioned, "Fyodor and I have been friends since we were little, and if you ever do anything to hurt him…." He trailed off.

Liriel smiled.  "Never would I ever do anything to hurt him.  You have nothing to fear about that."

A look of understanding passed between them.  Their loyalty to Fyodor, and undoubtedly his loyalty to them, was clear.  Liriel and Rognar relaxed in each other's presence, and spent the time until Fyodor awoke chatting amiably.

When Fyodor finally awoke, he came out to see Liriel and Rognar laughing and trading stories.  He smiled, glad that the two people closest to him were getting along so much better.

Fyodor ate and listened to Liriel and Rognar talking, adding in his own comments occasionally.

"I never did that!" he interrupted one story.

"You did too," Liriel said.

"It sounds like you," Rognar chimed in.

Fyodor just shook his head and grinned.

"Why did you call us - me - up here?" Fyodor finally asked during a lull in the conversation.

A shadow passed across Rognar's dace.  "A prophecy," he said.  "A prophecy of great danger, that you could help stop."

Fyodor sat back, thinking.  Rognar was a seer - he could prophecy the future.  His prophecies _always came true.  Liriel watched him thinking, puzzled a bit._

"Tell me about it," he finally said.

"The Spider Queen will send minions to find two renegade drow on the Dale.  They would take the drow and their human companions.  The first for sacrifice, the second for slavery.  The drow will then go to the surface with a plan to conquer it, and succeed.  Only one from far away, who has traveled long and hard, coming to visit an old friend, will save them, leading others, who fear and hate him, to their rescue."

Liriel stared, and then turned to Fyodor.  "I _told you it wasn't 'just a dream'."_

Fyodor inclined his head in assent, and then turned back to Rognar.

"Liriel had a dream last night, the basis being we were caught, she was sacrificed, I, sold into slavery.  It's not me, Rognar, it's some other hero.  Sorry."

Rognar paled, and Liriel turned on him in angerd.

"So you bring him into danger-" she started, but Fyodor laid his hand on her arm to silence her.

"I was going to come up here, anyways, Liriel.  It was actually good fortune he sent for us, else we would have been here longer, searching."

"Much help his directions were," Liriel muttered, calming considerably.

"Still," Rognar broke in, "it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, which I should have seen.  In my eagerness, I immediately associated Fyodor with it, hoping to see my old friend again.  I am sorry, my friend," he said with deep regret in his voice.

"Pay no mind to it," Fyodor told him.  "I would have been here anyways, and Lloth would find a way to get her revenge on Liriel, regardless."

Liriel nodded her head.  "Yes, her wrath knows no bounds, nor does her thirst for revenge against those who have supposedly wronged her."

"Then the two of you should go immediately," Rognar said, filled with guilt.

Liriel and Fyodor looked at each other, and came to a silent agreement.  Fyodor turned back to Rognar.

"There's no way I'm giving up a visit with a friend I haven't seen for years just because of some stupid prophecy," he told Rognar.  "It's not like it's something which can be prevented.  We'll be just as safe here as anywhere else.  Right, Liriel?"

"Right," she agreed.  "Plus, it's interesting here."

"As long as there's a warm fire, right?" Fyodor grinned.

She laughed, then said to Rognar, "We're staying and you can't get rid of us."

Rognar smiled.  Looking at the two of them, he knew the decision was final.  He was still worried, though.  His two friends, one new and one old, were in danger because of him.  Or, at least, that's what he thought.  He pushed those thoughts aside, and tried to enjoy his friends' company.

(A/N: Whadda ya think?  Bad, huh?  R/R, please.)


	7. Chapter Seven

(A/N:  *Winces* Ouch.  I am seriously not kidding at all this time.  This is really and honest-to-god bad chapter.  Catti-brie is wicked way out of character, and, wow.  This is bad.)

**Chapter Seven**

Catti-brie was lost in dreams – nightmares.  She was in front of Drizzt's door again, smoke billowing into her face.  It was the same nightmare she had every night.  She knew it was only a dream, and tried to wake herself up, but couldn't

Through the terror, Catti-brie became aware of hands gently shaking her, and a melodious voice calling her name.

"Catti-brie.  Catti-brie, wake up.  You're having a nightmare."

Catti-brie's striking blue eyes flickered open, and locked on Drizzt's lavender ones.

She shuddered.  "Thanks."

He smoothed her hair back from her sweaty face with a cool hand.

"Care to tell me about it?" he asked her.

She hesitated, and then shook her head.  "I don't really remember it," she told him, lying through her teeth.

Drizzt sat with her for a few more minutes, and then kissed her and stood up to leave.

"Drizzt?" Catti-brie said right before he reached the door.  He stopped and turned around.  "Stay with me?  Please?" She hoped that if he was there, the nightmare wouldn't come back.

Drizzt smiled and came back to her bed.  Catti-brie moved over to give him room, and he slid under the blankets next to her.  She curled up next to him, as one of his arms slipped around her shoulders.  Her hand lightly traced over the well-defined muscles on his bare chest.  Her touch made shivers run up and down Drizzt's spine.  Catti-brie felt safe in his arms, safer than she ever had with Wulfgar.  Her hand stilled, as she finally fell back asleep.

When Drizzt saw that she was asleep, he couldn't have been more glad.  Lately, Catti-brie looked as if she hadn't been getting enough sleep.  He wasn't sure why, but was going to ask her tomorrow.  Maybe.

*  *  *  *  *

Catti-brie woke up feeling well rested for once.  The nightmare hadn't come back, and she had gotten more sleep that night than she had for weeks.

Drizzt cracked open her door as quietly as he could, but then opened it all the way when he saw she was awake.  He was carrying a tray with breakfast on it for her.

"Good morning," he said cheerily.  "I brought you breakfast."

Catti-brie grinned and sat up, her auburn hair tumbling messily down her back.  He gave her the tray, and took one of the steaming cups for himself.  He sat down on the edge of the bed, sipping the hot liquid.

"Might just start havin' nightmares every night if I get breakfast in bed the next mornin'," Catti-brie grinned at Drizzt and he laughed.

"Sleep better?" he asked.

Catti-brie smiled and nodded.  "Thanks again fer wakin' me up," she said around a mouthful of food.

Drizzt watched her eat, watched how much better she looked.

Catti-brie felt much better and hoped the nightmares were gone forever.

*  *  *  *  *

That night, Drizzt couldn't sleep again and was up late.  He heard Catti-brie calling his name, and went into her room.  As soon as he opened the door, he realized that she was still asleep, in the throes of another nightmare.  He immediately moved to her side.

"I'm right here, Catti-brie.  Wake up, it's just a dream.  I'm right here next to you."

"Drizzt!  No!  Fire!"  She was still asleep, thrashing around her bed.

"Catti-brie!" He gently grabbed her shoulders, trying to shake her awake.  "Wake up!  You are dreaming."

Tears leaked out of her eyes, even though she was still asleep.  Drizzt lightly slapped her cheek, hoping it would wake her up, at a loss for what to do.

Catti-brie's eyes snapped open.  They immediately filled with tears.  Drizzt pulled her into his arms and onto his lap.  She clung to him with all her strength, like he was her lifeline, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Every night," she gasped, "all night.  Make them stop," she pleaded.  "Please, make them stop."

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.  "I don't know how, other than try to go back in time and make it so it never happened.  I'm sorry," he said again.

Her nails were beginning to draw blood on his bare shoulders.  He removed them as gently as he could.  She whined a little, and he hugged her tighter, holding her closer.

"Stay with me," she begged.  "Please.  Last night was the most sleep I got in weeks.  Please, stay with me?"

Drizzt doubted he could leave even if he wanted to.

"Of course I will," he said, hugging her tighter.  She tried to bury herself more into his chest.  The feeling of his skin against hers comforted her, and Catti-brie slowly began to relax.  She finally fell asleep, still on Drizzt's lap, holding onto him.

Drizzt swung his legs up onto the bed and lay down, gently laying Catti-brie down next to him.  The instant he let go of her to pull up the blankets, her eyes snapped open.

"Shhhh.  I'm just pulling up the blankets."  He lay back down, covering them, and pulled her closer to him.  Her blue eyes slowly closed, and she went back to sleep.  Drizzt wrapped his arms around her, and went back to sleep himself.

*  *  *  *  *

The next morning when Catti-brie woke up, Drizzt was still sleeping, his arms still encircling her.  She smiled and thanked the gods her love was so understanding.  She snuggled into his warm body, content to stay snuggled with him until her woke up.

Drizzt woke up, extracting himself from the blankets slowly, in case Catti-brie was still asleep.  She rolled over to face him as he sat up, and sat up too.

"Thank ye so much," Catti-brie said, kissing him.

"Anything for you, my love," Drizzt told her.  She fairly glowed.  He had never called her his 'love' before.  "I have to go, in case Bruenor comes," he told her.

Catti-brie laughed, and Drizzt flashed her a grin.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Catti-brie said excitedly.  She hopped out of bed and went to the wall between their rooms.  She ran her hand over the wall.  Drizzt watched, puzzled.  "I know it's here somewhere," she muttered.  "Ah, here it is!"  Catti-brie pressed a spot on the wall.  A whole piece of the wall silently slid back, leaving an opening into Drizzt's room.

"Bruenor made it fer me when I was little," she explained to Drizzt.  "It kept me entertained, pretendin' I had a secret door.  C'mon, I'll show ye the panel in yer own room."

Drizzt laughed and followed her as she went through.  He didn't have to duck, so neither did Catti-brie, but he knew Wulfgar would have.  He surmised that Catti-brie had never shown the door to Wulfgar, and felt kind of special.  He knew it was foolish, because she had probably just forgotten, but still….

Catti-brie turned to him as if she had read his thoughts.  "I never showed that to Wulfgar.  He would've thought it t'be stupid."

Catti-brie left him to get dressed.  Drizzt gently grabbed her arm as she was leaving.  She turned around to face him, and he stared intently into her eyes for a few seconds, and then let her go.

"Meet with yer approval?" Catti-brie asked him, flashing him a grin.

"You've looked half dead on your feet since I came back.  Now you look like you're getting sleep."  Drizzt smiled and kissed her, and she left.

*  *  *  *  *

For the next few nights, Drizzt snuck into Catti-brie's room through the hidden door, and then left in the morning after she woke up.  If he ever let go of her before she woke up – not that he wanted to – her eyes would snap open, immediately seeking him.  Drizzt praised their luck, for Bruenor had not yet discovered this arrangement.

Both Drizzt and Catti-brie loved having another body in the same bed as them.  Wulfgar wouldn't ever sleep in the same bed as Catti-brie until they were married – which they never were – because it wasn't "proper".  For a barbarian, he had a strong sense of honor.  Too strong, at times.  Drizzt had just never had anyone, period.  The extra body heated the bed, keeping it warmer.

Catti-brie began to look better.  She had lost weight from not getting enough sleep, but was now putting it back on.  The dark circles under her eyes disappeared.  Bruenor and Regis noted the change, and wondered what had brought it on.  Whatever it was, they both thanked the heavens for bringing it.

Early one morning, Bruenor received word from Bryn Shander that there were bandits on the road.  He went to wake up Drizzt, figuring they could go out and deal with them quick.  He knocked on Drizzt's door, but there wasn't any answer.  He opened the door, figuring the elf was merely asleep.  To his surprise, Drizzt wasn't in there, and the bed hadn't been slept in.

After his initial surprise passed, Bruenor realized where he probably was, and why Catti-brie looked better.

"Should o' figered," he muttered to himself, and went to Catti-brie's room.

He knocked on her door, and once again, there wasn't any answer.  He cracked open the door, and grinned.  Catti-brie lay with her head on Drizzt's bare chest.  Everything about the two contrasted.  Catti-brie's white skin on Drizzt's dark skin, his pure-white hair mixing with her auburn tresses.

Bruenor stood watching them for a moment – his best friend and his daughter.  He wondered if they were going to get married.  Nothing could make him happier.  Bruenor shook himself out of his thoughts and returned to business.

"Drizzt," he said quietly, trying not to wake Catti-brie up.

Drizzt's eyes opened, and he shot up in bed.  Even in his surprise, he was careful to keep one arm on Catti-brie.

"Bandits on the road," Bruenor told him.  "Nothin' me an' yerself can't handle."

"Now?"  Drizzt asked, yawning.  Now that he knew Bruenor wasn't going to chew him out immediately, he only wanted to go back to sleep next to Catti-brie.

"Nah," Bruenor said sarcastically.  "I'm jes' wakin' ye up to tell ye we're leavin' in a few hours t' deal with 'em."

"Okay."  Drizzt lay back down again to go to sleep.

"Drizzt!"

Drizzt opened one lavender eye and looked at Bruenor.

"You do realize if I leave she'll wake up?"

Bruenor stopped for a moment, trying to decide if he was bluffing.  Drizzt saw his skeptical expression and sighed exasperatedly.  He sat up and took his arm off Catti-brie.  Before he could even swing around to get off the bed, Catti-brie was awake.

"Where're ye goin'?" she asked before seeing Bruenor.

"Just a couple of bandits.  I'll be back in a little bit."

"The two o' ye aren't getting' all the fun fer yerselves," she said, starting to get up.

"It's nothin' the two o' us can't handle," Bruenor said in a no-nonsense tone.

Catti-brie smirked, knowing why Bruenor didn't want her along.  "have fun Drizzt."

*  *  *  *  *

          Drizzt and Bruenor walked in silence for a while.  Finally, Drizzt couldn't take the suspense anymore.  Either Bruenor was going to be angry or not, but he had to know.

          "I swear Bruenor, we aren't doing anything, just sleeping."

Bruenor looked at him sideways.  "I don't doubt ye."

Drizzt stared at him, mouth open in shock.  He had expected some sort of tirade or disbelief.

"An' even if ye were," Bruenor trailed off and shrugged.  "Me girl's lookin' better, and I assume it's somethin' yer doin'.  Don't know why she was lookin' so…wasted…in the first place…"

"Nightmares," Drizzt broke in, wincing.  He felt guilty because he was the cause of those nightmares.  "According to her, all night, every night.  And they only went away when I stayed with her."

Bruenor shrugged again.  "Whatever yer doin'….  Call the cat.  We're almost there."

Drizzt stood staring at him for a moment.  "You enjoyed that."

"What?" Bruenor asked innocently.

"Waking me up early and getting me all worried you were going to blow up at em or something and….  You enjoyed watching me worry all the way here."

"Might be that I did," Bruenor said mildly.  "Call the cat," he repeated, but then paused.

Drizzt noticed this and grinned.  "Revenge is a dish best served cold," he said.

Bruenor glared at Drizzt as he called Guenhwyvar.  Drizzt went off to see how many bandits there were.  Guenhwyvar stayed with Bruenor.  He watched her warily, as she sat watching him with what could have been a slight grin.

"There's only three of them."  Bruenor jumped.  He had been so intent on watching the panther, he hadn't heard the elf come up behind him.

"Bit nervous, are we?"  Drizzt grinned at Bruenor's glare until Bruenor, too, started to smile.

"One fer each o' us, right elf?"

Drizzt grinned and nodded.  "They're laying in ambush for the wagon coming.  Are we to lie in ambush for the ambush?"

"Sounds good t' me."

Drizzt and Guenhwyvar circled around to the other side of the road.  Bruenor hid himself among a rock fall.  The wait wasn't long.  As the wagon passed between two tall rocks, two bandits dropped in front of it.

"Halt!" one said.  "You must pay a toll to pass through here!"

The sole occupant of the wagon was the driver, an old merchant, who apparently didn't have enough money to hire a guard.  Drizzt dropped lightly in front of the wagon and Bruenor came in from the side.

"Do you have the authority to order that?" Drizzt asked mildly.  His wrists rested lightly on the hilts of his scimitars, apparently relaxed.  In truth, that merely put his hands closer to his weapons without appearing threatening, and he was ready to burst into motion at any moment.

"It's the Drizzit," he heard one hiss to the other.  Bruenor heard it, too.

"Ye've been promoted from 'the drow' to 'the Drizzt'," he said sarcastically.

"We don't need no permission," the taller bandit snarled.  He glanced nervously up at the rock ledge.  "Get out o' our way.  We got archers in the rocks."  The old man looked about nervously.

"Bah!" Bruenor exclaimed.  "Ye got one archer, if he's still alive."

The third bandit - the archer - walked out from behind the rocks, glancing nervously behind him every few steps.  The other two bandits saw why as Guenhwyvar stalked out after him, growling deep in her throat.  The other bandits paled visibly and took a step back.  Guenhwyvar herded the archer over to the others, and paced around them, growling.

"Drop your weapons and surrender, and we won't harm you," Drizzt told them.  They immediately dropped their swords.

"Knives in yer boots, too," Bruenor said threateningly.  The bandits immediately took knives out of their boots, sleeves, and various other places.  They were thoroughly cowed, just by seeing a dark elf.  Drizzt and Bruenor took out lengths of rope and tied the bandits' hands together behind their backs.

"Ow!"  Bruenor wasn't very gentle with the two bandits he tied up.  The one Drizzt tied up flinched away from him at first, but cast a grateful look his way for his gentleness.

"Yer too soft, Drizzt," Bruenor told him.  He sighed.  "This was too easy.  I was hopin' fer a good fight."

Drizzt sighed and shook his head at his friend's love for fighting.  He couldn't deny, though, that it had been calm lately.  Almost too calm, like the calm before the storm.

"Thank you," the old merchant said.  "I do not have much, but…."

Drizzt waved off his offers of payment.  "Where are you traveling to?" Drizzt asked him.

"Bryn Shander."

"May we travel with you, then?  We need to turn these bandits over to Cassius."

"Of course."

Bruenor shoved the bandits in front of the horse.  "Yer walkin' in front."

Drizzt and Bruenor walked one on each side of the wagon, keeping watch for monsters and more bandits.  Guenhwyvar prowled around the edge of the trail.

In Bryn Shander, Cassius thanked them profusely for dealing with the bandits.  The old man offered to by them both a drink.  Bruenor eagerly accepted, but Drizzt politely declined, earning a smirk from Bruenor.

"She's already mad because she couldn't come," Drizzt explained.

Bruenor smirked again.  "Ye jes' don't want th' watery ale."  The old man had moved away, so he couldn't hear what they were saying.

Drizzt laughed and grinned.  "That, too."

He and Guenhwyvar left, leaving Bruenor to drink the "watery" ale.  They ran across the tundra.  Judging by the sun, it was nearing lunchtime.  It had taken them longer to deal with the bandits than expected.  Drizzt's growling stomach agreed with his estimation of the time, reminding him he hadn't eaten any breakfast.

When he finally got back to the caves, Drizzt was starving.  He was beginning to regret not staying for the drink and getting dome food.  He sent Guenhwyvar home, promising to call her back soon.

Going down the tunnels, he turned a corner, and saw Catti-brie walking ahead of him.  He snuck up behind her and covered herd eyes with his hands.

"Guess who?" he said.

"Hmmm."  Catti-brie stopped walking.  "Now, who's th' only one here tall enough to do this?  Not Bruenor, not Regis, could it be…Drizzt?"

He kissed the back of her neck as she turned around and dropped his hands to around her waist.

"I should have known that wouldn't work," he said, grinning.

"Did ye have fun?" she asked, grinning.

"Boring," he said, choosing the interpretation he knew she wasn't asking.  "They gave up without a fight.  You didn't miss anything."

Catti-brie wrapped her arms around his neck.  "Ye know that's not what I'm wantin' t' know."

"Well, he kept me worrying almost all the way there, enjoyed it, too.  When it finally got too much, I basically denied everything he could ask before he said anything.  And he said, I quote," Drizzt did his best to imitate Bruenor's gruff tone and accent.  "'I don't doubt ye.  An' even if ye were….'" Drizzt shrugged like Bruenor did.

Catti-brie laughed.  "Ye do good impressions.  Jes' don't let Bruenor ever see ye doin' that.  He was much more understandin' than I would o' though."

Drizzt grinned and bent his head down to kiss her, his hair falling down to shroud their faces.

"Out o' th' way!  Yer blockin' th' hall."  Bruenor's gruff voice came from behind them.  Drizzt and Catti-brie quickly broke apart, both blushing furiously.

"Back already?" Drizzt asked mildly.

"Bah.  Really was watery ale.  Yer smarter'n I though, elf."

Drizzt started to say something, but broke off when his stomach growled loudly.  Catti-brie burst into giggles.

"Hungry fer more?" Bruenor asked, grinning at Catti-brie.

Drizzt and Catti-brie laughed good-naturedly at Bruenor's ribbing.

"Hungry for _food_," Drizzt laughed.  "I haven't had breakfast yet, and it's already lunchtime."

"Let's go get some lunch then," Catti-brie said, grinning.

The three of them moved off down the hall, every few steps being punctuated by Drizzt's growling stomach and Catti-brie's giggles.

(A/N:  See?  Told you so.  That one really was retarded and bad.  *Looks back over her notes*  Ah, yes.  Catti-brie is very much out of character because of post-traumatic-stress disorder.  I think that's what it's called.  If you need a longer explanation, email me, 'kay?  *Goes back to going through notes*  Nope, nothing else I'm supposed to tell you guys.  Just random quotes from TV that I watch while I'm writing this.  Okay, review please.  Tell me just how damn far I took Catti-brie out of character.  Okey-dokey artichoke?  This is the Falcon, signing out.)


	8. Chapter Eight

(A/N: OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but is the dood who flamed me a major retard or what?  I mean, if you're going to flame someone, at least offer constructive criticism, ya know?  At least he's one of the few people who see the truth that I can't write for beans.  He should have been able to find a better way to put it, though….  See, now, I agree with SL Smith, that flames are worth more than a hundred good reviews (except the ones that are good AND tell you what you're lacking), but ONLY when they give you constructive criticism in a polite way.  Not when they are worded like that one and make you feel like shit (of course, then there's the fact that you're just too damn sensitive for your own good)….  Anywho, something interesting happened today.  Somebody tried to poison me, so if this story is never finished, it's because they finally succeeded.  All my food as lunch in school today tasted really funny, and I mean beyond normal school lunch funny.  I bought a Kit Kat bar from a friend, and even that tasted funny.  I split it into bits and gave pieces to 5 other friends, and they all agreed that is tasted nothing like a Kit Kat bar.  So… one day, they will succeed, and I will be no more.)

**Chapter Eight**

"C'mon Drizzt!  It's fun!"

Drizzt stood at the edge of the frozen lake, watching Catti-brie.  She had on ice skates and was gliding across the ice, her auburn hair flying out behind her.  She spun and jumped and cut figure eights, just having fun.  Just standing on the ground was hard enough for Drizzt, he couldn't imagine trying to stand on ice, much less move on it.  Never mind doing what she was doing.

"C'mon!" Catti-brie yelled again, laughing.

Drizzt took a tentative step out onto the ice…

…and fell flat on his face.  He tried to get up, but couldn't even get a grip on the ice.  His legs kept flying out from under him.

Catti-brie laughed and skated over to him, coming to a stop just before hitting him.  She grabbed his arm and pulled him up.  With her help, Drizzt managed to get to his feet.

"Slide yer feet like this."  She demonstrated, skating out a couple of feet in front of him.  "Now skate t' me."

Drizzt tried, and fell.  Catti-brie laughed again, and came back to help him up.  The same scenario played out many times over the next few minutes.  Drizzt kept getting more and more frustrated.

"It's not funny," he said petulantly.

"Sure it is!  Yer an elf, an' yer always so durned graceful.  But out here, you're as clumsy as an orc!"

Drizzt started to laugh as she helped him up for the millionth time.  He held onto her hand as he started to (try to) move forward again.  Once more, he fell, this time pulling Catti-brie down with him.  She smothered her giggles with a hand as she stood up, pulling Drizzt up after her.

"Jes' let yer feet move where they want to."  Catti-brie grabbed both of his hands and skated backwards in front of him, pulling him along.  "Don't think about it.  Jes' keep yer feet movin' an' let instinct guide ye.  Concentrate on something else."

"Drow have lived in the Underdark for thousands of years," Drizzt said dryly.  "They don't have any instinct for ice skating anymore."  Still, he did what she said and concentrated on her smile.  If that couldn't take his mind of what he was doing, nothing could.  Catti-brie let go of his hands; he kept moving, not noticing.  When he did notice, he stumbled, but Catti-brie grabbed his arm and he regained his balance.  He flashed her a huge grin, making her smile, too.  Vierna would have recognized it as the smile Drizzt flashed her when he was younger and had just accomplished something new.  Catti-brie skated in circles around him as he went slowly around the lake.

"Show off," he muttered, watching her.

She jumped and twirled in the air in front of him, just to spite him.

"Yer goin' so slow!" Catti-brie jibed him after he had gone around a few times.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him after her.  She kept gradually increasing their speed, always moving fast enough to stay just ahead of Drizzt.

They flew around the lake, laughing.  Because of their speed, the ever-blowing wind that gave Icewind Dale its name seemed stronger as it blew in their faces.  Their hair whipped back and their eyes teared in the wind.  They were having so much fun!  When the sun reached its zenith, Drizzt and Catti-brie collapsed at the edge of the lake.  Both were panting and exhausted after skating for hours straight.  Lunch was sandwiches Catti-brie had thought to bring.  Drizzt had planned to send Guenhwyvar to hunt for them, but was glad they didn't have to wait.  He didn't know about Catti-brie, but he was certainly starving!  He wolfed down the sandwich, and Catti-brie did the same.

"Anything else in there?" he asked hopefully.

"I've got enough sandwiches for supper, and this."  She pulled out her Cat's Eye, and then dropped it back in.

Drizzt raised a slender eyebrow.

"In case we wanted t' stay out after dark," she answered his unspoken question with gay laughter.  "I had no idea ye'd be so bad at it."

Drizzt responded with a grin.  "Maybe that's because I have a bad teacher."

Catti-brie pretended to be offended.  "We'll jes' see about that!"  She put her skated back on and raced back onto the ice.  Drizzt followed more slowly - _much_ more slowly - still trying just to stay on his feet.  Catti-brie came over and grabbed his hand.

"C'mon, ye can do this.  Yer an elf - yer supposed t' be graceful," she teased him.

Drizzt shook his head and laughed.  "I'm also 'supposed' to be evil, and look how good I've lived up to that expectation."

Catti-brie laughed and got him moving.  He was doing fine, so Catti-brie let go and moved to the middle of the lake for some figure skating.  Drizzt kept going in circles around the edge, letting his mind wander.  His thoughts wandered everywhere, but they almost always returned to Catti-brie.  How he loved that human girl!  It kind of surprised him that anyone could care so deeply for another person.  He pondered over whether or not she would marry him if he asked.

Drizzt came out of his thoughts with a jolt.  A tree was rushing towards him.  He was going to fast to turn in time, and he didn't know how to stop.

"Catti-brie!" he yelled while trying to turn.  "How do I-" His words broke off suddenly as he slammed into the tree.  The wind was knocked out of him, and he crumpled to the ground trying to get a breath.

Catti-brie rushed over and dropped to her knees by his side.

"Are ye all right?" she asked breathlessly, lines of worry etched across her face.

Drizzt tried to focus his eyes on her, tried to make his head stop spinning, tried to breathe!  The whole world seemed discombobulated.  He finally managed to get some air into his lungs, gasping in great gulps of it.  The world still spun around him, making him dizzy and nauseous, and two Catti-bries danced in his vision.  He closed his eyes, trying to make the world stop spinning.

"Drizzt!" Catti-brie said more urgently.

"That hurt," he said with a slight grin, trying to alieve some of her worry.  He opened his eyes, and the double-image of Catti-brie melted into one.  His eyes still felt like they were rolling around in their sockets, though.  He sat up and cradled his aching head in his hands.  "Told you I have a bad teacher," he said with a grin.

Catti-brie winced, not noticing his grin.  "Sorry, " she muttered, her eyes downcast.

"Hey," he said gently, "laugh.  It was a joke."

Catti-brie looked up at him and grinned in a quick change of mood.  "I still should o' remembered t' show ye that.  I'm very sorry.  Forgive me?"

"Forgiven."  Drizzt closed his eyes again for a moment.  When he opened them, the world had finally stopped spinning around him.  "I am going to be so bruised tomorrow morning."

Catti-brie laughed and pulled hi up.  "Ye should o' been payin' more attention to what ye was doin'."

Drizzt gasped as he tried to put weight on his right foot.  He would have fallen if Catti-brie hadn't been there to prop him up.

"It's just twisted," he said.  "Sprained at the most."  Catti-brie helped him sit down and gently eased off his skate.  He hissed in pain as she did that and as she was probing it for a break.  There was already a livid bruise.

"It's not broken," Catti-brie told him.  "Yer lucky ye weren't going any faster."

"You call running into a tree lucky?" Drizzt asked her.

She grinned at him as he took off his other skate.  She sat down and took off her skates, and then hung them around her neck, as did Drizzt.  Catti-brie helped him up again, and then grabbed their stuff.

"Lean on me shoulder," Catti-brie told him as they made their way back to the caves.

Drizzt grimaced with each step.  The pain slowly got better the more he walked on it, but it still hurt like hell.  Catti-brie tried to hold him up as much as she could, helping him keep as much weight off the ankle as she could.  She talked aimlessly, trying to take his mind off it, too.  They had a long way to walk for someone with a hurt ankle.  Drizzt concentrated on what she was saying, knowing what she was trying to do.

They made it back to the tunnels just in time.  Drizzt thought that if he had to walk for much longer on the ankle he would collapse.  They came upon Bruenor and Regis, arguing about something as usual, near their rooms.

"What happened?" Regis asked immediately.

"Drizzt an' a tree got in a disagreement over who had the right o' way," Catti-brie explained, eliciting a laugh from everyone.  She helped Drizzt into his room.  He sat on his bed, and Catti-brie rolled up his pants leg.  His ankle was swollen, with an angry bruise around it.

"And what do you suggest, Healer Catti-brie?" he jibed her.

"Rest and ice," she grinned.  "And keep yer weight off o' it fer a few days."  She gently wrapped it in a bandage.  "I'll go get ye some ice."

Drizzt sat back on his bed as she left.  He had been on the surface for many years, and even though he came to expect that kind of treatment from his friends, he was still sometimes amazed by the difference between the surface world and Menzoberranzan.  If he had been hurt there, he probably would have been fighting for his life.  Whereas here, Catti-brie felt guilty because she hadn't thought to teach him to stop.

"Hello.  Are ye sleepin' with yer eyes open?"

Drizzt jumped at the sound of Catti-brie's voice.  He realized that she had been trying to get his attention for a while.

"What?  I was thinking.  Sorry."

Catti-brie grinned as she put the ice around his ankle.  "There.  That'll keep th' swellin' down.  What were ye thinkin' about?"  She came and sat next to him on the bed.

"Oh, nothing."  Drizzt sighed and made a face.  "How long am I stuck here?"

Catti-brie laughed as she lay back into his side.  "Tow, maybe three days.  Just until ye can put weight on it again without wincing."  She laughed again as she looked up into his face.  The usually stoic ranger could come up with a variety of amusing expressions.  Drizzt didn't like being inactive for any amount of time.  "Be happy," Catti-brie told him, "ye get breakfast, lunch, an' dinner in bed."

"And I'll be served by the most beautiful woman here?" he asked, leaning down for a kiss.

"No, yer stuck with me," Catti-brie joked as she kissed him.

"Mow, why don't you just scoot your cute little butt out of here and find me a pair of crutches so I _don't_ have to stay in bed."  Drizzt put on his best puppy-dog face, but Catti-brie just laughed.

"Yer gettin' one, and only one.  Stumpet's already findin' it."

"And why am I only getting one?" Drizzt asked, moving to get up.  Catti-brie jerked him back down and put the ice back on.

"So hopefully it'll make ye stay in bed with yer ankle up 'til it's ready t' be walked on!  Then it'll get better faster.  Gods Drizzt!"

"Okay, okay," he said petulantly.  "I'll sit here like a good little boy until you're satisfied."

"That's right," she said, cuddling into his side again.  "I might jes' keep ye here forever, so yer always close."

Drizzt laughed.  "You couldn't do that even if you tried.  Besides, what fun would I be then?  How could I go out and run into another tree?"  They laughed again, and then sat in silence.  Catti-brie leaned her head on Drizzt's shoulder, watching the fire in his fireplace.  The flames leaped and danced, reflecting in both their eyes.  Each was immersed in their own private thoughts.  Drizzt broke the silence first with a question.

"Are you sleeping in here tonight?"

Catti-brie paused for a moment before answering.  "Mmmmm," she finally said, torn.  If she slept in her own bed and the nightmares did come back, it would be awkward for Drizzt to get in there if he heard.  Plus, he might feel obligated to sleep with her for the night and the leave in the morning.  That would be unnecessary stress on his ankle, and, more importantly, unnecessary pain for him, something Catti-brie didn't want.  But, she was Catti-brie, usually fiercely independent.  Drizzt saw the warring emotions in her eyes, along with a reflection of the flickering flames.

"It would be lonely without you," he said, squeezing her shoulder.  "You spoiled me and got me used to having you next to me at night."  He lay his head down on hers, waiting for an answer.  He knew Catti-brie almost better than she knew herself, and always knew just what tot ell her so she could say the answer she really wanted to in her heart, yet her pride would not let her say.

"All right," she smiled and laughed softly.  "Yer always knowin' exactly what t' say."

"I'm just telling the truth.  It'd be hard, nor, to fall asleep without you next to me, and strange to wake up without you there.  I'm just lucky that the truth happens to be exactly what was needed to be said."  Drizzt stifled a yawn.  He was completely exhausted.

"Th' silver'd tongue that wags too much," Catti-brie lightly jibed him.  She drew him into a deep kiss.  Then they fell silent, watching the fire and enjoying each other's company.

Drizzt was slowly falling asleep.  The fire was warm and Catti-brie was next to him.  He was nice and toasty-warm, and exhausted to top it all off.  His eyes would slowly close and then jerk back open.

"Lie down an' go t' sleep," Catti-brie told him.  She slipped out of his arms, and Drizzt obediently lay back.  She covered him up and gave him a goodnight kiss.

Drizzt mumbled something; the only word that she caught was 'going?'.

"I'll be in a little later."  Drizzt was already asleep.  Catti-brie stood watching him sleep.  It wasn't that late, but he was already fast asleep.  His white hair spread out over the pillow, forming sharp contrast to his dark skin.

"Sweet dreams," she said softly as she went out the door.

As she was gently easing the door closed, she saw Stumpet coming down the hall with a crutch over her shoulder.  She moved out to meet Stumpet, closing Drizzt's door behind her.

"I'll take it in t' him," Catti-brie told her.  "He's sound asleep."

"When he wakes up, I want to look at his ankle."

"Okay, thanks."  Catti-brie yawned so big that if Stumpet was taller, she would have been able to see clear down to Catti-brie's stomach.  Compared to Drizzt's bed, it was cold in the hall, and Catti-brie was shivering a bit.  "I guess I'm tireder'n I thought.  G'night, Stumpet."

"Night, Catti-brie.  Say, if ye ever be needin' anything'," Stumpet glanced meaningfully towards Drizzt's room, "come t' me an' I won't tell Bruenor if ye don't want me to, not even if he asks."

"Thanks Stumpet."  Catti-brie smiled gratefully and went into her room.  She changed into her nightgown and went into Drizzt's room through the hidden door.  The crutch she leaned against the wall on Drizzt's side of the bed, then went to her side and climbed in.  He stirred a little as she nestled herself under his arm.  It tightened almost reflexively around her as she cuddled into his side.  The sweet surrender of sleep claimed her as she lay in her love's arms.

(A/N:  OK, short and retarded, I know.  Ya know what's a cool word?  "Discombobulated".  I'm going to try to use it at least once in every chapter.  *Looks back through all the notes at the top of the pages*  Nope, nothing important.  Just funny quotes from "The West Wing".  Here's a good one from President Bartlett and some psychiatrist dood:

"Tell me the nature of your sleeping problem."

"I can't sleep."

"What happens when you try to go to sleep?"

"I stay awake."

Isn't that funny?  Ok, I'll stop bugging you now.  R/R, please!  Oh, BTW, did anyone watch 'Ed' this week?  Wasn't that an awesome song his old band played?  I wanna find an MP3 of that.  And there won't be any new chapters for a while, I don't think.  I have major writer's block, so I'm working on different ones for now.  Go read some of my other ones (stories, I mean).  Hmmm.  Maybe I'll put up the original one I'm working on….)


	9. THE END

(A/N: I HATE this story, it is a really bad story, so here's the ending to it, 'kay?  Maybe if I have a change of heart, I'll write more later and take off this ending, but *shudder* this story is really awful.  I'm leaving it up for all you insane people who like it, but….  Eeeeew….  And thank the gods I am finally finding people who actually think Drizzt and Catti-brie ared better for each other than Catti-brie and Wulfgar.  That was such an odd pairing….)

            And they all lived happily ever after.  THE END


End file.
